Retail Ireland: Retail sector still in negative territory

Retail Ireland, the IBEC group that represents the retail sector, have said that new CSO retail sales figures for September show that the sector is still in negative territory.

Retail Ireland Director Torlach Denihan said: "While it is encouraging that the annual trend in core retail sales, excluding cars and pubs, became less negative in September, the reality is that shops are selling less than they did a year ago.

"The negative year-on-year trend is especially pronounced for furniture and to a lesser extent for electrical suppliers, bookshops, newsagents and hardware shops. There was however some good news for department stores.

"The Government must communicate in clear and easy-to-understand terms what the budget tax increases will mean for individual consumers so that they can quickly reassess their circumstances and make spending decisions.

"In view of the importance of Christmas for the retail sector and the protracted nature of the current crisis, consideration should be given to having the budget earlier in the year in 2011," concluded Mr Denihan.