Irish retail sales volumes fell on a monthly basis for the first time in six months in July, dropping 1.7% as higher pub sales on the further reopening of the sector could not make up for a fall off in department store purchases from a high level in June.
Still, overall sales were 5.2% higher than the same month a year ago, when the first Lockdown of the economy was being unwound, and 14% up on pre-pandemic levels in July 2019, the Central Statistics Office said on Friday.
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Separate daily credit and debit card usage compiled by the Central Bank have shown that spending in the first three weeks of August was up 14% year-on-year, even as no further restrictions were eased this month. - Reuters
