In December 2022, the volume of Retail Sales remained unchanged in the month and rose by 0.5% in the year.
Monthly volume increases were recorded in Motor Trades (+4.0%), Other Retail Sales (+2.8%) and Non-Specialised Stores (incl. Supermarkets) (+1.4%).
The largest monthly volume decreases were in Clothing, Footwear & Textiles (-16.8%), Electrical Goods (-7.7%), and Furniture & Lighting (-5.7%).
The largest annual volume increase was in Bars (+54.7%), however caution should be exercised with this level of growth as it is compared with a low base from the previous year. With the arrival of the COVID-19 Omicron variant in December 2021 restrictions were re-introduced, including an 8pm closing time for bars just before Christmas.
Other sectors to show large annual volume increases were Clothing, Footwear & Textiles (+7.7%) and Electrical Goods (+7.2%).
Other Retail Sales (-18.0%), Food, Beverages & Tobacco (Specialised Stores) (-13.0%), Furniture & Lighting (-12.7%), and Hardware, Paints & Glass (-10.1%) showed the largest annual volume declines in December 2022.
The volume of Retail Sales excluding Motor Trades fell by 1.8% in the month and rose by 0.1% in the year when compared with December 2021.
The proportion of Retail Sales transacted online (from Irish registered companies) was 6.2% in December 2022 compared with 6.3% in November 2022, 9.7% in December 2021, and 5.8% in December 2020.
| Seasonally Adjusted Retail Sales Index - All Businesses | ||
| Base Year 2015 = 100 | ||
| Volume Index | Value Index | |
| February 2020 | 121.5 | 112.3 |
| December 2021 | 124.4 | 119.7 |
| November 2022 | 124.9 | 128.9 |
| December 2022 | 125.0 | 129.6 |
| % change | ||
| Monthly | 0.0% | 0.5% |
| Annual | 0.5% | 8.3% |
| February 2020 - December 2022 | 2.9% | 15.4% |
In December 2022, the volume of Retail Sales for all businesses remained unchanged on the month and rose by 0.5% in the year. Excluding motor trades there was a monthly volume decrease of 1.8% in December 2022, while on an annual basis, retail volumes were 0.1% higher.
In December 2022, the largest monthly volume decreases were in Clothing, Footwear & Textiles (-16.8%), Electrical Goods (-7.7%), and Furniture & Lighting (-5.7%). The largest monthly volume growth was in Motor Trades (+4.0%) and Other Retail Sales (+2.8%).
| X-axis label | Monthly percentage change |
|---|---|
| All Businesses | 0 |
| Motor Trades | 4 |
| Non-Specialised Stores (incl. Supermarkets) | 1.4 |
| Department Stores | 0 |
| Food, Beverages & Tobacco | -3.5 |
| Fuel | -0.5 |
| Pharmaceuticals, Medical & Cosmetic Articles | -1.7 |
| Clothing, Footwear & Textiles | -16.8 |
| Furniture & Lighting | -5.7 |
| Hardware, Paints & Glass | -3.2 |
| Electrical Goods | -7.7 |
| Books, Newspapers & Stationery | 0.8 |
| Other Retail Sales | 2.8 |
| Bars | -0.5 |
In December 2022, the sectors with the largest annual increases in volume were Bars (+54.7%), Clothing, Footwear & Textiles (+7.7%), Electrical Goods (+7.2%), and Department Stores (+5.7%). Large annual falls were seen in Other Retail Sales (-18.0%), Food, Beverages & Tobacco (Specialised Stores) (-13.0%), Furniture & Lighting (-12.7%), and Hardware, Paints & Glass (-10.1%).
| X-axis label | Annual percentage change |
|---|---|
| All Businesses | 0.5 |
| Motor Trades | 2.7 |
| Non-Specialised Stores (incl. Supermarkets) | 0.6 |
| Department Stores | 5.7 |
| Food, Beverages & Tobacco | -13 |
| Fuel | 2.4 |
| Pharmaceuticals, Medical & Cosmetic Articles | -0.8 |
| Clothing, Footwear & Textiles | 7.7 |
| Furniture & Lighting | -12.7 |
| Hardware, Paints & Glass | -10.1 |
| Electrical Goods | 7.2 |
| Books, Newspapers & Stationery | -1.1 |
| Other Retail Sales | -18 |
| Bars | 54.7 |
Compared with February 2020 (34 months earlier and pre-COVID-19), the biggest rise in the volume of Retail Sales in December 2022 was seen in Clothing, Footwear & Textiles (+21.7%), Pharmaceuticals, Medical & Cosmetic Articles (+16.5%), Electrical Goods (+13.8%), and Hardware, Paints & Glass (+10.8%). The largest volume decreases during the same period occurred in Other Retail Sales (-14.8%), Bars (-12.5%), and Books, Newspapers & Stationery (-9.8%).
| X-axis label | February 2020 - December 2022 |
|---|---|
| All Businesses | 2.9 |
| Motor Trades | 2.2 |
| Non-Specialised Stores (incl. Supermarkets) | 8.8 |
| Department Stores | 2.4 |
| Food, Beverages & Tobacco | 5.1 |
| Fuel | -3.3 |
| Pharmaceuticals, Medical & Cosmetic Articles | 16.5 |
| Clothing, Footwear & Textiles | 21.7 |
| Furniture & Lighting | -3.5 |
| Hardware, Paints & Glass | 10.8 |
| Electrical Goods | 13.8 |
| Books, Newspapers & Stationery | -9.8 |
| Other Retail Sales | -14.8 |
| Bars | -12.5 |
The proportion of Retail Sales transacted online (from Irish registered companies) was 6.2% in December 2022 compared with 6.3% in November 2022, 9.7% in December 2021, and 5.8% in December 2020. Excluding Motor Trades, the proportion of Retail Sales transacted online in December 2022 was 6.8%, compared with 8.4% in November 2022 and 6.3% in December 2021.
Learn about our data and confidentiality safeguards, and the steps we take to produce statistics that can be trusted by all.
Statistician's Comment
Commenting on the release, Stephanie Kelleher, Statistician in the Business Statistics Division, said: "Retail Sales were unchanged in December 2022 when compared with November 2022 on a seasonally adjusted basis. On an annual basis, retail volumes were 0.5% higher than in December 2021. (See Headline Table, Table 1, and Figure 1)
Monthly Changes
In December 2022, monthly volume increases were recorded in Motor Trades (+4.0%), Other Retail Sales (+2.8%), Non-Specialised Stores (incl. Supermarkets) (+1.4%), and Books, Newspapers & Stationery (+0.8%).
The largest monthly volume decreases were in Clothing, Footwear & Textiles (-16.8%), Electrical Goods (-7.7%), Furniture & Lighting (-5.7%), Food, Beverages & Tobacco (Specialised Stores) (-3.5%), and Hardware, Paints & Glass (-3.2%). (See Table 3 and Background Notes)
Annual Changes
The largest annual volume increase was in Bars (+54.7%), however caution should be exercised with this level of growth as it is compared with a low base from the previous year. With the arrival of the COVID-19 Omicron variant in December 2021 restrictions were re-introduced, including an 8pm closing time for bars just before Christmas. Despite this large recovery, Bar sales remained 12.5% lower than their pre-COVID-19 level in February 2020.
Other sectors to show large annual volume increases were Clothing, Footwear & Textiles (+7.7%) and Electrical Goods (+7.2%).
The largest annual volume decreases were recorded in Other Retail Sales (-18.0%), Food, Beverages & Tobacco (Specialised Stores) (-13.0%), Furniture & Lighting (-12.7%), and Hardware, Paints & Glass (-10.1%). (See Tables 3 & 3a)
Value of Retail Sales
The value of Retail Sales was 0.5% higher in December 2022 than November 2022 and was 8.3% higher than a year earlier. Excluding Motor Trades, the value of Retail Sales fell by 0.5% in the month and rose by 7.9% on an annual basis. (See Tables 1 & 2)"
Reference Period
The December (Provisional) period covers five weeks from 27/10/22 to 31/12/22 and the November (Final) period covers four weeks from 30/10/22 to 26/11/22.