Retail sales continue to reflect fall-out of inflation

The latest figures appear to be part of a continuing pattern set last year when volume of retail sales ticked higher in almost every month, despite the sharp rise in consumer prices

Central Statistics Office figures show that retail sales in January rose by a healthy 2.2% from a year earlier, when measured in money or value terms, but barely grew, by only 0.2%, when measured in terms of the volume or quantity of sales, a measure that goes some way to obtaining an underlying picture by taking into account inflation. 

The fall-out from inflation continues to be felt for retail sales across the economy, as the retail losers outnumber the winners at the start of the year even as the pace of price hikes slow. 

Central Statistics Office figures show that retail sales in January rose by a healthy 2.2% from a year earlier, when measured in money or value terms, but barely grew, by only 0.2%, when measured in terms of the volume or quantity of sales, a measure that goes some way to obtaining an underlying picture by taking into account inflation.