Finance
Irish retail sales jump 3% year-on-year in January
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 27, 2026
1 min readLast updated: February 27, 2026
Quick Summary
Ireland’s Retail Sales Index rose 1.5% m/m in January 2026 and 3.0% y/y, the fastest annual pace in four months, CSO data showed. The CSO also reported sales values up 4.2% y/y, pointing to firmer nominal spending alongside moderate price pressures. ([cso.ie](www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublica
Ireland retail sales rise 3% year-on-year in January, CSO says
Retail sales performance and CSO data
Monthly change in retail sales
DUBLIN, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Ireland's retail sales rose by 1.5% in January from the previous month and were 3% higher than a year earlier, rising at the quickest year-on-year pace in four months, provisional data showed on Friday.
Sales volumes excluding motor trades
Excluding motor trades, sales volumes slipped 0.4% on the month and rose 2.1% year-on-year, the Central Statistics Office said.
Reporting and editing credits
(Reporting by Padraic Halpin; Editing by Sharon Singleton)
Key Takeaways
- •Headline volumes accelerated: retail sales volumes increased 1.5% month-on-month and 3.0% year-on-year in January 2026, while sales values rose 1.3% m/m and 4.2% y/y. (cso.ie)
- •Category mix was uneven: strong monthly gains in books/newspapers/stationery (+13.8%) and hardware (+3.0%) offset sharp drops in motor trades (-9.6%) and pharma/medical/cosmetics (-7.0%). (cso.ie)
- •Inflation backdrop remains relatively contained: Ireland’s HICP inflation was estimated at 2.6% y/y in January 2026 (down 1.0% m/m), suggesting real volumes improved even as price growth eased. (cso.ie)
References
Frequently Asked Questions about Irish retail sales jump 3% year-on-year in January
1How much did Ireland’s retail sales rise in January compared with December?
Ireland’s retail sales rose 1.5% in January from the previous month.
2What was the year-on-year change in Ireland’s retail sales in January?
Retail sales were 3% higher than a year earlier.
3How did retail sales perform excluding motor trades in January?
Excluding motor trades, sales volumes slipped 0.4% on the month and rose 2.1% year-on-year.
4Who published the retail sales figures cited in the report?
The figures were published by Ireland’s Central Statistics Office (CSO).
