The volume of retail sales rose by 0.9% in May from April on the back of higher car and electrical goods sales.
New figures from the Central Statistics Office show a yearly increase of 6.2% in May compared to the same time last year.
The CSO noted that when car sales are excluded, retail sales fell by 0.5% on a monthly basis, while there was an increase of 3.4% on a yearly basis.
Sales of cars rose by 4.6% in May compared to April, while electrical goods increased by 1.8%. But there were falls in the sales of furniture and lighting (down 6.9%), while sales of books, newspapers and stationery dropped by 3.9% and hardware, paints and glass sales slowed by 2%.
The CSO also said that the value of retail sales rose by 0.6% on a monthly basis, while they were 4.1% higher on an annual basis.
