Shoppers boosted spending this Christmas but overseas online outlets cut the growth enjoyed by Irish retailers, the industry says. Industry body Retail Ireland, part of employers’ group Ibec, reported that the sector was on track to hit or surpass Christmas sales growth targets. However Retail Ireland director Thomas Burke said that overseas online players posed an increasingly tough challenge to the Irish industry. That organisation’s chief executive, David Fitzsimons, said retail sales dipped in the latter part of the month. “We’re at 2009 price levels in the Irish retail sector,” Mr Burke said.

Source: The Irish Times December 26, 2017 17:26 UTC