Ireland’s retail sector showed a marked acceleration at the start of 2026, with year-on-year sales growth reaching 3.0% in January, according to data updated on 27 February 2026. This compares with a revised 0.2% annual increase recorded in December 2025.
On a year-over-year basis, the January 2026 figure reflects how retail activity has strengthened compared with January a year earlier, indicating a more robust consumer environment. The previous reading for December 2025 had shown only marginal growth versus the same month a year before, underscoring the significance of the latest improvement.
The comparison framework used for these figures assesses each month’s performance against the corresponding month in the previous year, with the “previous” value referring to December 2025’s change versus December a year earlier. The jump from 0.2% to 3.0% suggests building momentum in Irish consumer spending as 2026 gets underway.
