Retail sales rose 0.9% in February, powered by large increases in the volume of sales made in bars (+13.9%) and hardware, paints and glass (+7%), according to the latest retail sales index figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

The largest monthly sales volume decreases were recorded in department stores (-5.4%) and furniture & lights (-1.2%) as the volume index rose from 124.2 to 125.3 month-on-month.

On an annual basis, retail volumes increased 2.2% from February 2021, with sales rising most notably in the bars sector (+726%) from a year ago when pubs were closed except for ancillary services, although bar sales remained nearly a third (30.2%) lower than in February 2020 prior to the onset of public health restrictions.

Most notably, however, the rising cost of fuel bore out in the statistics, which show that the value of fuel sales rose 46.5% year-on-year despite volumes rising just 18.1% over the same period.

Clothing & footwear (+295%), department stores (+88.1%) and books, newspapers & stationary (+79.5%) also saw significant annual increases, reflecting a recovery from a very low base last February when the country was still in the midst of a Level 5 lockdown.

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The three sectors that saw the largest reductions in sales volumes year-on-year were electrical goods (-12.9%), hardware, paints & glass (-11.8%) and non-specialised stores, including supermarkets (-8.1%).

Compared to two years ago, the volume of retail sales was 3.1%, with the highest increases seen in clothing & footwear (+49%), food, beverages & tobacco (+19.3%), electrical goods (+16.7%), hardware, paints & glass (+12.0%) and other retail sales (+11.9%). 

After bars, the largest decreases in the volume of sales in February 2022 when compared to February 2020 levels, were books, newspapers & stationery (-10.1%), fuel (-5.7%) and department stores (-4.3%).

When motor sales were excluded sales in February were up just 0.3% on the previous month and 11.1% year-on-year, while the proportion of retail sales transacted online fell to 4.7% from 5.6% in January and 11.8% in February 2021 but up from 3.5% two years ago.

The value of retail sales was 0.2% lower in February compared to January but up 6.2% year-on-year, and excluding motor sales, the value of retail sales was up 1.1% month-on-month and 18% from a year ago.

(Pic: Getty Images)