Retail sales plunge again

RETAIL sales continued to plunge in the last three months of 2009 but the industry is expecting a pick-up later this year.

Despite a highly publicised supermarket price-war grocery sales were down almost 11% in the final quarter of 2009 compared with the same period in 2008.

Menswear was the worst performing sector of the year falling 21% compared with 2008. Giftware and homeware sales were down 17% while ladies fashion fell 16%, according to figures from Retail Excellence Ireland (REI).