Figures from the Central Bank indicate that there was a sharp rise in spending in shops last week as COVID-19 restrictions on the retail sector eased.

The bank’s figures, which cover spending using credit and debit cards, as well as ATM withdrawals, show that in-store spending rose by 14% compared with the previous week.

The retail sector, excluding groceries, recorded a 19% increase in what was the first full week of trading since non-essential retail resumed.

As a result, online spending fell by 2%, the third successive weekly fall.

CSO caution

Total spending in the week to 23 May increased by 5%, or €76 million, compared with the previous week.

Separate figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show a record 90% jump in the volume of retail sales in April compared with the same month last year.

The CSO warns, however, that caution should be exercised when interpreting this figure, as the comparison is with a record annual fall of almost 44% in the same month last year, as the effects of the first COVID-19 lockdown kicked in.

CSO statistician Stephanie Kelleher points out that the list of essential retail allowed to remain open in April this year was broader than was the case in April 2020.

“By the third lockdown, consumers and retailers had become more accustomed to the restricted market conditions,” she says.

Supermarkets

The sectors with the highest annual increases were furniture and lighting, up almost sevenfold compared with April last year, and motor trades, where there was a sixfold increase.

The increase in the non-specialised stores category, which includes supermarkets, was a more modest 3.2%, reflecting the fact that this sector remained open throughout the pandemic.

A comparison with April 2019 shows that the volume of sales last month was up by just over 7%. Sales were also up 7.4% compared with March this year.