Inflation hits hard as consumers pay more for less, retail sales figures show

Sales of petrol and fuel starkly reflected the hit to households and businesses from soaring prices.

The huge effects of inflation are showing up in official retail sales figures, as consumers pay more for less for their shopping.

Retail sales measured in terms of value or by the amount of money spent rose by 6.1% in October from a year earlier, but still fell by 2.6% when measured in terms of volume, the Central Statistics Office figures show.