Retail sales fall 4.7% in August - CSO figures

Slump comes as car sales down over 11%

Shoppers on Grafton Street

Retail sales slowed by 4.7 per cent in August compared to July - but there was an increase of 5.2 per cent in the annual figure.

However, if car sales are taken out, the figures reveal an increase of 0.9 per in the volume of retail sales in August 2016 compared with the previous month with an increase of 4.1 per cent in the annual figure.

The sectors with the largest month-on-month volume decreases were motor trades (-11.1 per cent), bars, (-2.7 p[er cent) and department stores (-1.1 per cent).

The sectors with the largest monthly increases were furniture and lighting (+8.8 per cent), other retail sales (+5.1 per cent) and hardware, paints and glass (+4.6 per cent).

There was a decrease of 3.7 per cent in the value of retail sales in August 2016 compared with July 2016 and there an annual increase of 2.9 per cent when compared with August 2015.

With motor trades are excluded, there was no change in the value of retail sales and an annual increase of 1.8 per cent.