Ireland - Retail Sales





Ireland: Retail Sales

Mnemonic WRT.IIRL
Unit Index 2015=100, SA
Adjustments Seasonally Adjusted
Monthly 0.71 %
Data Feb 2024 139.5
Jan 2024 140.5

Series Information

Source Central Statistics Office (CSO)
Release Retail Sales Index
Frequency Monthly
Start Date 1/31/2015
End Date 2/29/2024

Ireland: Consumer

Reference Last Previous Units Frequency
Real Retail Sales Feb 2024 130.4 133.1 Vol. Index 2015=100, SA Monthly
Retail Sales Feb 2024 139.5 140.5 Index 2015=100, SA Monthly
Consumer Confidence Apr 2019 87.7 93.14 1995=100, NSA Monthly

Release Information

For Ireland, the retail sales index (RSI) aims to provide a short term indication of changes in value and volume of retail sales. As such the RSI is a leading monthly indicator for eonomic activity, providing accurate and objective measure of retail trading and consumer spending behaviour.  

Retail sales index

Active:

  • Classification: NACE Rev. 2
  • Measurements:
    • Fixed-base volume index relative to 2015 (Vol. Index 2015=100)
    • Value index (Index 2015=100)
  • Adjustments:
    • Seasonally adjusted (SA)
    • Not seasonally adjusted (NSA)
  • Native frequency: Monthly
  • Start date: Uniformly 2015m1
  • Geo coverage: Country

Predecessors:

  • 2010=100 - 2010m1 to 2017m12 ("WR(I,J)?_10(A,U)M")
  • 2005=100 - 2005m1 to 2016m12 ("WRIR(A,O)?(A,U)M" with no archive)
  • 2000=100 - 2000m1 to 2009m1 ("00")
  • 1995=100 - 1996m1 to 2003m7 ("95")

E-commerce share

  • Classification: NACE Rev. 2
  • Measurement: Percent share of all retail sales (%)
  • Adjustment: Not seasonally adjusted (NSA)
  • Native frequency: Monthly
  • Start date: Uniformly 2018m12

Scope

The Retail Sales Index covers, on a matched sample basis, the retail sales of retail businesses, wholesale businesses with sizeable retailing activity, and the separate sales establishments of non-distribution enterprises.

Exclusions: Excluded from the index coverage are the direct retail sales from non-distribution establishments together with the incidental retail sales of wholesale businesses. Also excluded are sales by hawkers, street stalls, and other retailing activities not conducted from permanent business premises. Online retailers not registered in Ireland but selling to Irish Residents are not within the scope of the Irish RSI. 

E-commerce: The RSI does include internet/online sales of enterprises which have a presence in Ireland, but these sales are included under the primary activity of the enterprise, e.g., online grocery sales are included in Non-Specialised Stores. Online retailers not registered in Ireland but selling to Irish Residents are not within the scope of the Irish RSI. 

The collection of data for online turnover began in November 2018. Enterprises in the sample provide the value of their online turnover for the reporting period. As for all of the survey only Enterprises registered in Ireland are included. From the Annual Services Inquiry (2017) the Online and Mail Order Sector (G4791) registered in Ireland is estimated at 1.0% of all Retail Businesses. A fixed base weight is used from the Annual Services Inquiry (2017).

Reporting unit

The statistical unit used for reporting sales figures in this inquiry is the enterprise (i.e. complete business covering all branches). An enterprise is the smallest legally independent unit. All enterprises are eligible to be selected as the are no size cot-offs. Selected enterprises provide a single overall retail sales figure each month.

Business categories

The business categories are based mainly on the Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community (NACE Rev. 2). The index system is structured on the retailing enterprises covered in the 2015 Annual Services Inquiry classified by 13 retail business categories and four turnover (excluding VAT) ranges. The following NACE Rev.2 categories apply:

  • Motor Trades - Sale, maintenance and repair of new and second-hand vehicles and motorcycles (NACE 45)
  • Non-Specialised Stores - Retail sale in non-specialised stores with food, beverages or tobacco predominating - mainly supermarkets (NACE 47.11)
  • Department Stores - Retail sale of a large variety of goods of which food products, beverages or tobacco are not predominant activities of the department stores. Retail sale of a general line of merchandise, including wearing apparel, furniture, appliances, hardware, cosmetics, jewellery, toys, sports goods, etc. (NACE 47.19)
  • Food, Beverages & Tobacco - Retail sale of fruit and vegetables, meat and meat products, fish, crustaceans and molluscs, bread, cakes, flour and sugar confectionery, and beverages in specialised stores (NACE 47.2)
  • Fuel - Retail sale of fuel and lubricating products and cooling products for motor vehicles and motorcycles. Excludes wholesale of fuels (NACE 47.3)
  • Pharmaceuticals, Medical & Cosmetic Articles - Retail sale of pharmaceuticals, medical and orthopaedic goods, cosmetic and toilet articles in specialised stores (NACE 47.73 - 75)
  • Clothing, Footwear & Textiles – Retail sale of textiles, clothing, footwear and leather goods in specialised stores (NACE 47.51, 47.71 – 72)
  • Furniture & Lighting - Retail sale of furniture, lighting equipment and other household articles in specialised stores (NACE 47.59)
  • Hardware, Paints & Glass - Retail sale of hardware, paints and glass in specialised stores (NACE 47.52)
  • Electrical Goods – Retail sale of information and communication equipment, computers, peripheral units and software, telecommunications equipment, audio and video equipment and electrical household appliances in specialised stores (NACE 47.41-43, 47.54)
  • Books, Newspapers & Stationery – Retail sale of books excluding second-hand or antique books, retail sale of office supplies such as pens, pencils, paper, etc. (NACE 47.61 -.62)
  • Other Retail Sales – Retail sale of carpets, rugs, wall and floor coverings, music and video recordings, games and toys, flowers, plants, seeds, fertilisers, pet animals and pet food, jewellery, photographic, optical, souvenirs, household fuels and other new goods in specialised stores. The retail sale activities via mail order or via Internet (NACE 47.53, 47.63-65, 47.76-8, 47.91)
  • Bars – Preparation and serving of beverages for immediate consumption on the premises (NACE 56.3)

Seasonal and other adjustments

All Retail Sales “unadjusted” series are trading day adjusted as they are based on either a standardised four or five-week reporting period.

Seasonal adjustment is conducted using the direct seasonal adjustment approach. Under this approach each individual series is independently adjusted, i.e., aggregate series are adjusted without reference to the component series. A consequence is potential loss of additivity in the series. Each individual seasonally adjusted series is calculated based on unadjusted data spanning from January 2010 to the current period.

The adjustments are completed by applying the X-13-ARIMA model, developed by the U.S. Census Bureau, to the unadjusted data.

Additional factors considered:

  • Calendar effects, e.g., the timing of Easter
  • The phase shift effect, i.e., the fact the reporting period of the RSI does not coincide with the calendar month
  • Outliers, temporary changes, and level shifts in the series
  • Seasonal breaks, e.g., the introduction of the new number plate system in the Motor Trade sector which occurred in July 2013.  

Further reading

At the source:

  • Sep 2009 - Initial version.
  • May 2017 - Rebased to 2010.
  • May 2018 - Rebased to 2015.
  • 2 Aug 2023 - Added e-commerce proportion: Properties.