The volume of retail sales increased by 2.5 per cent in November compared with a year earlier as consumers took advantage of Black Friday sales.
However, the volume of sales was up by just 0.5 per cent compared with October, which may suggest people were still careful with their money despite the opportunity for bargains.
Excluding motor trades, the monthly volume of retail sales was up by 0.2 per cent in November and by 1 per cent in the year.
The highest annual volume growth was recorded in motor trades at 11.4 per cent; hardware, paints and glass (7 per cent); pharmaceuticals, medical and cosmetic articles (5.5 per cent); and books, newspapers and stationery (4.1 per cent).
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Sectors showing the largest annual volume declines were food, beverages and tobacco, which were down 7.4 per cent, and in clothing, footwear and textiles, which dropped 4 per cent.
Investment consultant Eugene Kiernan said the high street is bearing “much of the burden” of cautious consumer sentiment with “significant annual volume declines” in food, clothing and footwear. “Consumer confidence is significantly lower than where it was 12 months ago,” he said.
“According to the highly regarded Credit Union Consumer Sentiment Survey, the year saw a broadly based downgrade of Irish consumer thinking both as regards their own financial circumstances and overall economic conditions. According to the survey, 2025 was a year most Irish consumers want to forget.”
The value of retail sales was 0.5 per cent higher in November than in October and was up by 3.9 per cent when compared with November 2024. Excluding motor trades, the value of retail sales rose by 0.3 per cent in the month and by 2.5 per cent on an annual basis.
Irish consumers had planned to spend at least €283 over the Black Friday sales weekend, but that figure was down 14 per cent from €329 last year, a report from PwC found in November.
PwC, which surveyed the intentions of 2,000 Irish and 10,000 European consumers in September and October for the report, said Ireland is still one of the highest spending nations amongst European countries, where the average spend is €268.
The report suggested the Black Friday sales remain popular with 62 per cent of Irish people likely or extremely likely to purchase at least one item over the sales weekend, slightly down from last year (64 per cent).
Indicating more cautious spending habits and less money available, 73 per cent of Irish consumers were planning to spend the same or less compared to last year over the weekend, compared with 64 per cent last year.
Sectors showing the highest monthly volume increases in November were motor trades, which rose by 4.7 per cent, as well as bars, which were up 3.8 per cent, and, finally, hardware, paints and glass, which climbed 2.8 per cent.
The largest monthly volume decreases were recorded in “other retail sales”, which suffered a dip of 1.4 per cent; food, beverages and tobacco, which dropped 1.4 per cent; and books, newspapers and stationery, which were down 1.2 per cent.
