Measured in real terms (constant 2019 prices), retail trade sales decreased by 0,8% year-on-year in January 2023. The largest negative contributors to this decrease were retailers in:

·            food, beverages and tobacco in specialised stores (-7,3% and contributing -0,7 of a percentage point); and

·            hardware, paint and glass (-4,8% and contributing -0,4 of a percentage point).

Seasonally adjusted retail trade sales increased by 1,5% in January 2023 compared with December 2022. This followed month-on-month changes of -0,5% in December 2022 and 1,1% in November 2022.

Retail trade sales decreased by 0,2% in the three months ended January 2023 compared with the three months ended January 2022. The largest negative contributors to this decrease were retailers in:

·            hardware, paint and glass (-5,4% and contributing -0,4 of a percentage point);

·            food, beverages and tobacco in specialised stores (-4,2% and contributing -0,4 of a percentage point); and

·            pharmaceuticals and medical goods, cosmetics and toiletries (-4,0% and contributing -0,3 of a percentage point).

The largest positive contributor was retailers in textiles, clothing, footwear and leather goods (4,3% and contributing 0,8 of a percentage point).

Seasonally adjusted retail trade sales increased by 1,3% in the three months ended January 2023 compared with the previous three months. The largest contributors to this increase were:

·            retailers in textiles, clothing, footwear and leather goods (5,0% and contributing 0,9 of a percentage point); and

·            all ‘other’ retailers (3,9% and contributing 0,4 of a percentage point).