Irish consumer caution resulted in a drop in sales in February following a surge in January during the winter sales.
The value of retail sales dropped 1.6 per cent in February, compared with the previous month.
However, retail sales in February 2003 were 2 per cent stronger than the same period in 2002, according to data released by the Central Statistics Office. If motor trades are excluded, retail sales rose 1.7 per cent on the year.
A sectoral breakdown of relative strengths within the retail sector in January showed footwear and leather goods rose 3.5 per cent; books, stationary and newspapers declined by 2.4 per cent.