In July 2026, the volume of Retail Sales increased by 1.3% in the month and by 2.2% in the 12 months from July 2025.
Excluding Motor Trades, the monthly volume of Retail Sales was up by 0.8% in July 2026 and grew by 2.2% in the year when compared with July 2025.
The value of Retail Sales for All Businesses rose by 1.4% in the month and by 4.6% in the 12 months to July 2026.
Sectors showing the largest monthly volume increases were Motor Trades (+8.5%), Fuel (+7.0%), and Pharmaceuticals, Medical & Cosmetic Articles (+3.4%).
Monthly volume decreases were recorded in Department Stores (-1.3%), Books, Newspapers & Stationery (-0.3%), and Other Retail Sales (-0.1%).
In July 2026, the highest annual volume growth was recorded in Pharmaceuticals, Medical & Cosmetic Articles (+6.9%), Books, Newspapers & Stationery (+4.3%), Hardware, Paints & Glass (+4.2%), and Bars (+4.1%).
Annual volume declines were recorded in Furniture & Lighting (-5.0%), Clothing, Footwear & Textiles (-2.0%), and Department Stores (-1.6%).
The monthly Retail Sales value for Fuel increased by 2.4% and by 7.0% in volume since June 2026. In the 12 months to July 2026, the value of Retail Sales for Fuel increased by 7.7% when compared with the same period in 2025, while volume rose by 3.7% over the same period.
Please note that there will be a revision to all Retail Sales volume indices in the coming months which will be communicated in advance of implementation. This is due to a new classification scheme recently adopted in the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Please see CPI methodology page for more information.
Figure 1 and Table 1 show the seasonally adjusted volume of Retail Sales indices for All Businesses and All Businesses excluding Motor Trades. Table 1 also highlights monthly and annual percentage changes in terms of both value and volume. Value represents turnover or total expenditure whereas volume strips out the impact of price changes to reflect quantity sold.
| Table 1 Seasonally Adjusted Indices of Total Retail Sales for All Businesses and All Businesses (excl. Motor Trades)1 | ||
| Base Year 2021=100 | ||
| Volume Index | Value Index | |
| All Businesses | ||
| July 20262 | 118.0 | 132.9 |
| June 2026 | 116.4 | 131.0 |
| July 2025 | 115.4 | 127.1 |
| % change | ||
| Monthly | 1.3 | 1.4 |
| Annual | 2.2 | 4.6 |
| All Businesses (excl. Motor Trades) | ||
| July 20262 | 116.0 | 129.7 |
| June 2026 | 115.1 | 128.5 |
| July 2025 | 113.5 | 123.4 |
| % change | ||
| Monthly | 0.8 | 0.9 |
| Annual | 2.2 | 5.0 |
| 1Based on Seasonal Patterns up to July 2026. | ||
| 2Provisional value and volume of sales indices based on early returns from sample retailers. | ||
Figure 2a shows the monthly seasonally adjusted volume percentage changes for July 2026 compared with June 2026.
| X-axis label | Monthly percentage change |
|---|---|
| All Businesses | 1.3 |
| Motor Trades | 8.5 |
| Non-Specialised Stores (incl. Supermarkets) | 0.9 |
| Department Stores | -1.3 |
| Food, Beverages & Tobacco | 1.5 |
| Fuel | 7 |
| Pharmaceuticals, Medical & Cosmetic Articles | 3.4 |
| Clothing, Footwear & Textiles | 1.5 |
| Furniture & Lighting | 0.5 |
| Hardware, Paints & Glass | 1.3 |
| Electrical Goods | 0.5 |
| Books, Newspapers & Stationery | -0.3 |
| Other Retail Sales | -0.1 |
| Bars | 1.1 |
Figure 2b shows the annual seasonally adjusted volume percentage changes for July 2026 compared with July 2025.
| X-axis label | Annual percentage change |
|---|---|
| All Businesses | 2.2 |
| Motor Trades | 3.6 |
| Non-Specialised Stores (incl. Supermarkets) | 3.5 |
| Department Stores | -1.6 |
| Food, Beverages & Tobacco | 2.2 |
| Fuel | 3.7 |
| Pharmaceuticals, Medical & Cosmetic Articles | 6.9 |
| Clothing, Footwear & Textiles | -2 |
| Furniture & Lighting | -5 |
| Hardware, Paints & Glass | 4.2 |
| Electrical Goods | 3.7 |
| Books, Newspapers & Stationery | 4.3 |
| Other Retail Sales | 3.1 |
| Bars | 4.1 |
The sample for the Retail Sales Index is drawn from the population of Ireland’s domestic retail enterprises, non-domestic online retailers are not included. The information provided in figure 3 and table 3 relates only to the online sales conducted by these retail enterprises, rather than representing the entirety of online sales activity. This should not be interpreted as a measure of consumer spending in online retail sales.
Figure 3 shows the percentage of turnover generated by online sales for All Businesses and All Businesses excluding Motor Trades from July 2024 to July 2026.
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Statistician's Comment
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (28 August 2026) published Retail Sales Index July 2026 (Provisional) and June 2026 (Final).
The July 2026 (Provisional) period covers the four weeks from 05 July 2026 to 01 August 2026, while the June 2026 (Final) period covers the five weeks from 31 May 2026 to 04 July 2026.
Commenting on the release, Tommy Allen, Statistician in the Enterprise Statistics Division, said: "The volume of Retail Sales increased by 1.3% in July 2026 when compared with June 2026 on a seasonally adjusted basis. On an annual basis, retail volumes were 2.2% higher than in July 2025.
When Motor Trades are excluded, the volume of Retail Sales rose by 0.8% in the month and by 2.2% in the year when compared with July 2025 (See Table 1 and Figure 1).
The Fuel sector experienced a monthly value increase of 2.4% in July 2026 and was up by 7.7% when compared with July 2025. In volume terms, Fuel rose by 7.0% in the month and by 3.7% in the year. The reduced difference between value and volume figures observed this month reflects the drop in fuel prices in July and a reduced rate of inflation in the sector.
Monthly Changes
Sectors showing the largest monthly volume increases were Motor Trades (+8.5%), Fuel (+7.0%), and Pharmaceuticals, Medical & Cosmetic Articles (+3.4%).
Monthly volume decreases were recorded in Department Stores (-1.3%), Books, Newspapers & Stationery (-0.3%), and Other Retail Sales (-0.1%) (See Table 2 and Background Notes).
Annual Changes
In July 2026, the highest annual volume growth was recorded in Pharmaceuticals, Medical & Cosmetic Articles (+6.9%), Books, Newspapers & Stationery (+4.3%), Hardware, Paints & Glass (+4.2%), and Bars (+4.1%).
Annual volume declines were recorded in Furniture & Lighting (-5.0%), Clothing, Footwear & Textiles (-2.0%), and Department Stores (-1.6%) (See Table 2).
Value of Retail Sales
The value of Retail Sales was 1.4% higher in July 2026 than in June 2026 and was up by 4.6% when compared with July 2025. Excluding Motor Trades, the value of Retail Sales rose by 0.9% in the month and by 5.0% on an annual basis (See Tables 1 & 2)."