Bars experience 6% decline in retail sales

In April 2024 the volume of Retail Sales decreased by 1.2% in the month and was down by 0.9% in the 12 months from April 2023 (Photo by Pixabay via Pexels)
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has released the Retail Sales Index April 2024 (Provisional) and March 2024 (Final).
Annual Changes
The largest annual volume declines in April 2024 were in Food, Beverages & Tobacco (Specialised Stores) (-7.9%), Books, Newspapers & Stationery (-7.3%), Department Stores (-6.3%), Bars (-6.0%), and Fuel (-4.5%).
Sectors showing the highest annual volume growth in April 2024 were Clothing, Footwear & Textiles (+8.5%), Electrical Goods (+6.1%), and Furniture & Lighting (+4.7%).
Monthly Changes
The largest monthly volume decreases were recorded in Department Stores (-5.5%), Books, Newspapers & Stationery (-5.1%), Fuel (-4.0%), and Bars (-2.5%).
Three sectors showed monthly volume increases: Clothing, Footwear & Textiles (+17.3%), Hardware, Paints & Glass (+2.5%), and Furniture & Lighting (+0.9%).
Value of Retail Sales
The value of Retail Sales was 4.1% higher in April 2024 than in March 2024 and was up by 2.1% when compared with a year earlier. Excluding Motor Trades, the value of Retail Sales rose by 0.4% in the month and increased by 1.8% on an annual basis.
Stephanie Kelleher, statistician in the Enterprise Statistics Division, CSO, said: “The volume of Retail Sales fell by 1.2% in April 2024 when compared with March 2024 on a seasonally adjusted basis. On an annual basis, retail volumes were 0.9% lower than in April 2023. When Motor Trades are excluded, the volume of Retail Sales increased by 0.1% in the month and rose by 0.2% in the year when compared with April 2023.”