Head of Public Affairs and Communications at Retail Excellence: 'Irish retail industry has now entered recession'

Head of Public Affairs and Communications at Retail Excellence, Lorraine Higgins today said that the “Irish retail industry has now entered recession based on the fact the industry is experiencing a third consecutive quarter of decline with fifteen of twenty sectors recording decreases in sales revenue”.

Ms Higgins was speaking following the release of the Grant Thornton Retail Excellence Q1 2017 Retail Productivity Review which highlights some very negative trading patterns. Most worryingly, the Review confirms consumer activity was not as strong as it traditionally would be in most sectors of retail at that time of year.