Figures from the Central Statistics Office show that the volume of retail sales decreased by 1% in December, after a strong rise in November.
On an annual basis the volume of retail sales was up 3.4% compared to December 2003.
The value of retail sales decreased by 1.2% on the month and increased by 4.6% on an annual basis.
However, if Motor Trades are excluded, the monthly decrease was 1.4% and the annual increase was 4.1%.
November 2004 is the latest month for which final detailed figures are available. The three-month September 2004 - November 2004 volume figures show that, compared with the three months ending August 2004 the largest increase in the volume of sales was in the Hardware, Paints & Glass (+4.7%) sector.
The largest decrease in the volume of sales was in the Footwear & Leather (-6.2%) sector.
