Pub sales down, retail up in 2004

THE misery continued for the pub trade yesterday after official figures showed sales in bars slumped 3.4% last year.

But the pubs bucked an otherwise positive trend as the Central Statistics Office (CSO) said retail sales increased 3% year-on-year.

The CSO said retail sales in December fell slightly in November but that overall sales levels during the month were comfortably ahead of December 2003. The value of retail goods sold was 4.6% ahead year-on-year but 1.2% down in the month. Excluding the market for cars, total sales volumes were 3.5% ahead for the year but down 1.4% on November.