Less alcohol bought at Christmas but binges on bread, sweets, and frozen food

The sparkle went out of the alcohol trade over Christmas as we bought less booze than usual and opted more for non-alcohol drinks, according to the latest consumer survey.

We also binged on bread, sweets, and frozen food. And, in what retail researcher Nielsen says is a sign Irish people are increasingly “humanising” their pets, we spent an extra 5.2% on pet food.