Struggling retail sector boosted by surge in pre-Christmas sales

PRE-CHRISTMAS sales helped boost retail sales in December and the initial outlook for 2008 looks reasonably well, despite a slowdown in economic growth.

Retail-sales adjusted for seasonal swings, increased 4.7% from a year earlier, compared with a 3.9% gain in November, the Central Statistics Office said.

Sales rose 1.7% on the month, the biggest increase since October 2006.