Excluding motor trades, the monthly retail sales volume dropped by 0.3% in May 2024 and declined by 0.5% over the year since May 2023. The value of retail sales decreased by 2.0% in the month but rose by 1.5% in the 12 months leading to May 2024.

Significant monthly volume decreases were seen in clothing, footwear & textiles (-6.4%), motor trades (-4.5%), other retail sales (-3.8%), hardware, paints & glass (-2.4%), furniture & lighting (-2.1%), and electrical goods (-1.7%).

The largest monthly volume increases occurred in bars (+13.8%), books, newspapers & stationery (+7.0%), pharmaceuticals, medical & cosmetic articles (+3.0%), and department stores (+2.9%).

The most significant annual declines in May 2024 were in other retail sales (-6.4%), hardware, paints & glass (-5.5%), department stores (-4.0%), and food, beverages & tobacco (specialized stores) (-3.9%).

The sectors with the highest annual volume growth in May 2024 were books, newspapers & stationery (+8.1%), clothing, footwear & textiles (+4.9%), and bars (+4.5%).

Online retail sales from Irish registered companies accounted for 4.9% of total retail sales in May 2024, compared to 5.6% in April 2024 and 5.2% in May 2023.

Stephanie Kelleher, a statistician in the Enterprise Statistics Division, commented: “The volume of retail sales fell by 0.6% in May 2024 compared to April 2024 on a seasonally adjusted basis. Annually, retail volumes were 1.0% lower than in May 2023. Excluding motor trades, the volume of retail sales decreased by 0.3% monthly and fell by 0.5% annually compared to May 2023.”