Figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) yesterday showed online sales fell from a record high of 15.3pc of all retail sales in April to just 4.4pc of sales in August. The CSO data only tracks online sales generated and fulfilled by Irish businesses, so it excludes major UK retailers and online retail giant Amazon. Retail sales in general were strong in August, with increased demand for big-ticket electrical goods, hardware and furniture leading a strong rebound. The volume of retail sales overall increased 9.1pc compared to August 2019 and 8.9pc higher than in February, before the pandemic dramatically reduced consumer activity. Retail sales volumes were still below August 2019 levels for bars, department stores, clothing, fuel, and books, newspapers and stationery.

Source: Irish Independent September 29, 2020 01:30 UTC