Ireland's retail sales showed no variations in May after rising in the previous three months, figures from the Central Statistics Office showed on Tuesday.
On a seasonally adjusted basis, the volume of retail sales remained unchanged in May, following a 4.1 percent rise in April.
Sales in department stores registered the sharpest monthly increase by 20.9 percent in May, followed by a 9.2 percent gain in electrical goods. Sales of hardware, paint and glass rose 6.5 percent.
Meanwhile, furniture and lighting sales plunged 22.3 percent and those for clothing and footwear fell 21.1 percent.
On an annual basis, retail sales growth eased sharply to 0.3 percent in May from 3.7 percent in April. Sales have been increasing since January this year.
Sales in bars were 769 percent higher in May compared to last year. However, sales remained 26.6 percent lower than their pre-COVID-19 level in February 2020, reflecting a recovery from a very low base in May 2021.
The volume of retail sales, excluding motor trade, dropped 1.3 percent monthly in May, while it rose by 4.3 percent compared to a year ago.
