Official figures show that May was another weak month for consumer spending, with the volume of retail sales falling by 1.2% from April.
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Retail sales were down 15.4% from the same month last year.
The annual figures have been affected by a collapse on motor sales in the early months of this year.
However, even when the motor sector was excluded, sales were 9.2% lower than in May last year.
A breakdown showed that sales in the motor trade were up 3.3% in May from the previous month, but these are still almost 40% lower than a year earlier.
Sales of hardware, paints and glass were down 6.2% in the month, while clothing sales dropped 5.2% and furniture was 2.4% lower.
Bar sales were up 1%, however.
Categories linked to the property sector have been particularly badly affected, with hardware, paints and glass sales 27% lower over a year, and furniture sales down 31%.
Meanwhile, the value of retail sales, which takes prices into account, fell by 1.4% in the month and 19.4% over a year.
