Australian retailer Harvey Norman says sales at its stores in the Republic of Ireland in the six months to the end of December were down 2.6% compared with a year earlier. Sales in its Northern Ireland stores were up 4.2%.
The company's Irish chief executive Blaine Callard described the fall in Republic of Ireland sales as 'a reasonably stable result'. He said that during the period, there was a severe double dip in consumer confidence, referring to the EU/IMF bail-out, a tough Budget and severe weather in December.
Harvey Norman said two of its four Irish divisions - computers and furniture - actually recorded rises in revenue during the six months.
Last year, the company's chief executive Gerry Harvey described the situation of its Irish stores as 'terrible'.
