Official figures show that retail sales recorded their biggest annual drop in more than 21 years in May, with the volume of sales falling 4.8% from May last year.
The Central Statistics Office said sales fell by 1.1% from April, the fourth monthly fall in a row.
A big factor in the May fall was a 6.5% monthly slump in the motor category, which includes repairs and forecourt sales as well as car sales. Sales of electrical goods dropped 6.7% from April, while furniture and lighting sales were down 10.8%.
Bar sales picked up slightly, however, rising 2.5%, while clothing sales and department store sales also recorded increases compared with the previous month.
Detailed figures for the three months from February to April, however, show that sales in all categories except hardware, paints and glass fell compared with the previous three months.
The CSO said the value of sales, which takes prices into account, fell by 0.8% in the month, giving a 1.6% annual drop.
