Alcohol sales in pubs down by 5.3%

ALCOHOL sales have continued to slump more than a year after the introduction of the ban on smoking in the workplace, according to fresh figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

Bar sales declined by 5.3% in April compared to a year ago and were down by 0.5% from March this year, the CSO’s latest retail sales data shows.

Though bar sales have declined, the figures are not as bad has had been expected by some publicans, who warned that pub sales would plunge by up to 25% after the smoking ban. Mandate, the union representing bar staff, said yesterday’s figures reflected a trend in falling sales recorded in the past four years.

“The CSO figures show, in fact, a modest decline of 5.3% only slightly above the annual rate of decline - of over 4% - which has prevailed since 2001,” said Mandate general secretary John Douglas.

He added that some of the decline

in sales could also be attributed to the increasing costs in pubs, which may be turning consumers away.

Yesterday’s CSO data shows that overall retails sales were up by 3.9% in March, with car sales showing strong growth in the month compared to a year ago.

The only disappointment was the 2% drop in department store sales. Irish Life Investment Managers head of asset allocation Eugene Kiernan said the figures were pretty good, though affected by the early Easter holidays.

“The pattern of our spending remains the same.

“Sales of hardware and paints continue to storm ahead - up over 8% in the year. Clothing sales remain robust as price competition remains intense,” said Mr Kiernan.

“Overall, these are good numbers and especially so in the context of what we are seeing elsewhere. Numbers yesterday from the UK show retail sales growing at less than 2%. Eurozone, as a whole, is actually seeing retails sales down on a 12-month view.

“There is little danger of Irish consumers losing the run of themselves.”