The volume of retail sales fell by 0.4% in December on a monthly basis, new figures from the Central Statistics Office show today.
The CSO reported an annual increase of 3.7% in December.
It said that when car sales are not included, the volume of retail sales rose by 0.7% on a monthly basis in December, while they were 5.1% higher on a yearly basis.
Today's figures show that the sectors with the biggest monthly drop in sales included department stores - where sales dropped 7.3% - and motor trades, with sales slowing by 4.2%.
The biggest monthly volume increases were seen in the hardware, paints and glass sector, with sales rising by 3.9%. Sales of food, beverages and tobacco also rose by 3.7% in December.
For 2018 as a whole, retail sales were up 3.8% on average. This was marginally down on the 3.9% rise recorded in 2017.
Commenting on today's figures, Merrion economist Alan McQuaid said that while retail sales continue to remain erratic on a monthly basis, the underlying trend is positive.
Mr McQuaid said that even with the fluctuation in consumer sentiment, overall personal spending has been positive in the past few years, boosted by the increase in the numbers employed in the country.
"What happens on the currency and Brexit fronts will be important factors in determining overall consumer spending patterns in the Republic over the next 12-18 months, but we are still expecting to see healthy personal consumption in the Irish economy in 2019 as things currently stand," the economist added.
