Irish Consumer Sentiment

Predictably Irish Consumer Sentiment has dropped significantly in the face of an onslaught bad news; interest rates up, cost of living crisis, energy bills and the ongoing War in Ukraine. What will be interesting to watch is how this drop in sentiment manifests itself in retail sales.

To date year on year retail sales have held up well. Expect to see a divergence in performance across the retail sector as consumers prioritise certain spend categories over others. Sectors which are particularly sensitive to energy costs and and are in the highly discretionary spend segments will likely suffer the greatest squeeze whilst need based spending should hold up well based on strong demographics.