Bar and pub sales drop 7% despite wider retail sales rise

The overall retail index shows the volume of sales decreased by 0.6% in the month

Each month this year has recorded annual volume drops in bar sales, but the figure for May is the largest decline.

Bars and pub sales fell by 6.8% over the past year, according to new data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO). 

The Retail Sales Index for May shows the drop in bar volume sales was the largest annual fall for any sector, ahead of department stores, which saw a 4.2% drop and electrical goods, which fell 2.7%.