Retail Sales Data Report
Despite month on month reductions, recently released CSO Retail Sales Index figures for December 2021 report a 3.6% increase in sales values and 2.2% reduction in sales volumes when compared to 12 months prior however these figures do not paint the full picture. When motor trades and bars are excluded, these figures rise to increases of 5.4% and 0.4% respectively. The true strength of the retail sector shows through when the data is compared to pre-pandemic levels which shows a 10.2% increase in sales values and 11.4% increase in sales values compared to December 2019.
Taking a deeper dive into the data it is evident the traditional festive rush was more subdued in December 2021 with a stronger November trade showing evidence of consumers forward planning.
Top performing sectors for December 2021 were bars following their recent reopening (value increase 39.8%, volume increase 36.5%) and pharmaceutical, medical and cosmetic articles (value increase 11.1%, volume increase 9.9%).
