The volume of Retail Sales increased by 3.8% in April 2022 and by 6.1% on annual basis, according to the Central Statistics Office.

Motor Trades (+33.0%), Bars (+23.7%) and Clothing & Footwear (+13.6%) recorded the largest monthly volume increases.

The largest monthly volume decreases were in Department Stores (-42.5%), Furniture & Lighting (-8.8%) and Hardware, Paints & Glass (-6.4%).

Bars (+531%), Clothing & Footwear (+282%) and Department Stores (+117%) accounted for the highest annual volume increases, reflecting Covid lockdown restrictions in April 2021.

The volume of Retail Sales excluding Motor Trades rose by 1.0% in the month.

In Association with

The volume of Retail Sales was 9.7% higher in April 2022 than pre-COVID-19 levels in February 2020.

The proportion of Retail Sales transacted online (from Irish registered companies) was 4.8% in April 2022 compared with 5.0% in March 2022, 10.1% in April 2021 and 15.3% in April 2020.

The value of sales in the Fuel sector rose by 30.4% in the year to April 2022 while the volume rose by just 2.9% over the same period, reflecting higher prices compared to the previous year.

Stephanie Kelleher, statistician in the CSO Business Division, commented: “Despite the large recovery in April 2022 over the previous year, Bar sales remained 24.4% lower than their pre-COVID-19 level in February 2020.

“Compared to February 2020 (26 months earlier and pre-COVID-19), the volume of Retail Sales in April 2022 was 9.7% higher. The largest decreases in the volume of sales were Department Stores (-40.9%), Books, Newspapers & Stationery (-27.5%) and Bars (-24.4%).

The value of Retail Sales was 6.0% higher in April 2022 than in March 2022 and was 10.0% higher than April 2021.

Excluding Motor Trades, the value of Retail Sales increased by 1.6% in the month.