Retail sales volume falls 1.7% in January

The monthly volume of retail sales decreased by 1.7% in January in department stores, bars, and in the motor trade.

If the motor trade is excluded, the volume fell by 1.4%, when compared with Dec 2012, and there was an annual increase of 0.7%.

The CSO confirmed the figures did not include sales from large online international retailers such as Amazon or eBay, but did include online sales from retailers in Ireland.