Bar sales up but still lower than pre Covid, says CSO
Bar sales remained 12.5% lower than their pre-COVID-19 level in February 2020
In December 2022, the volume of Retail Sales remained unchanged in the month and rose by 0.5% in the year, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
The largest annual volume increase was in Bars (+54.7%), however caution should be exercised with this level of growth as it is compared with a low base from the previous year. With the arrival of the Covid-19 Omicron variant in December 2021 restrictions were re-introduced, including an 8pm closing time for bars just before Christmas. Despite this large recovery, Bar sales remained 12.5% lower than their pre-COVID-19 level in February 2020.
Other sectors to show large annual volume increases were Clothing, Footwear & Textiles (+7.7%) and Electrical Goods (+7.2%).
Stephanie Kelleher, statistician in the Business Statistics Division, said: “Retail sales were unchanged in December 2022 when compared with November 2022 on a seasonally adjusted basis. On an annual basis, retail volumes were 0.5% higher than in December 2021.”
Other Retail Sales (-18.0%), Food, Beverages & Tobacco (Specialised Stores) (-13.0%), Furniture & Lighting (-12.7%), and Hardware, Paints & Glass (-10.1%) showed the largest annual volume declines in December 2022.
Monthly volumes
Monthly volume increases were recorded in Motor Trades (+4.0%), Other retail sales (+2.8%) and non-specialised stores (incl. supermarkets) (+1.4%).
The largest monthly volume decreases were in Clothing, Footwear & Textiles (-16.8%), Electrical Goods (-7.7%), and Furniture & Lighting (-5.7%), Food, Beverages & Tobacco (Specialised Stores) (-3.5%), and Hardware, Paints & Glass (-3.2%).
The proportion of Retail Sales transacted online (from Irish registered companies) was 6.2% in December 2022 compared with 6.3% in November 2022, 9.7% in December 2021, and 5.8% in December 2020.
