New figures from the Central Statistics Office show that the volume of retail sales rose by 0.1% in July when compared with June on a seasonally adjusted basis.
The CSO said that on an annual basis, retail volumes were 0.4% higher than in July of last year.
When car sales are excluded, the volume of retail sales were up by 0.2% in the month and rose by 0.2% on the same time last year.
Today's figures show that the biggest monthly volume increases were recorded in clothing, footwear and textiles, which increased by 4.8%. Sales of pharmaceuticals, medical and cosmetic articles were up 2.2%, furniture and lighting sales grew by 2.1% and motor trades increased by 2%.
Sectors showing the highest monthly volume decreases were bars, with sales there slumping by 13.5%, while sales of books, newspapers and stationery were down 5.1% and electrical goods eased by 2.4%.
On an annual basis, the largest volume growth in July was seen in the hardware, paints and glass sector with sales up 11.1%, while sales in department stores rose by 3% in July compared to the same time last year.
Sectors showing the highest annual volume declines in July were bars, with sales sinking 16.2%. Sales of books, newspapers and stationery slowed by 4.4%, while electrical goods salaes were down 3.3% and fuel sales decreased by 2.4%.
Meanwhile, the proportion of retail sales carried out online - from Irish registered companies - was 4.7% in July, down from 4.9% in June and 4.8% in July of last year.
