The value of retail sales fell by a seasonally adjusted 4.2% in December from the previous month, according to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office.
The index showed that the value of sales was up by 10.2% from December 1999, though this was the slowest rate of growth since August last year.
The volume of retail sales in December, which excludes price effects, increased by 6.2% from the previous year, compared with a 9.7% rise in November.
The largest fall in volume was in the motor trade, which was down 1.1% in the three month September-November period on the previous three-month period.
