CSO retail index see strong growth in July boosted by motor sales 

However retail sales in some sectors have been falling including larger-than-expected 3.5% declines in categories including newspapers, books, and department stores

Ireland's Central Statistics Office reports that the volume and value of retail sales in July rose by 4.2% and 4.3% respectively year on year. Stock picture: PA

The volume and value of retail sales in Ireland during July increased by 4.2% and 4.3%, respectively, compared to last year, bolstered by a strong month for the motor trade, data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) shows.

The latest retail sales index shows that motor sales saw the largest growth of any sector, growing by 7.7% in volume during July, which is regularly one of the sector’s busiest periods. A total of 27,148 new cars were registered in July compared to 21,904 registrations last year, figures from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry show.