Temporary easing of restrictions helped boost December retail sales

The volume of sales for bars increased almost four-fold in December 

The volume of retail sales had fallen on a monthly basis for the first time in six months in November, as the tightening of Covid-19 restrictions across the country forced many retailers to shut their doors.

The temporary lifting of the Level 5 lockdown in December helped boost retail sales ahead of the vital Christmas season.

The volume of retail sales increased by 14.3% in December compared to the previous month, and were 8.2% higher than December 2019, new figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show.