Measured in real terms (constant 2019 prices), retail trade sales decreased by 0,5% year-on-year in February 2023. The largest negative contributors to this decrease were:

·         general dealers (-1,5% and contributing -0,7 of a percentage point); and

·          retailers in hardware, paint and glass (-7,7% and contributing -0,6 of a percentage point).

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

Retail trade sales decreased by 0,6% in the three months ended February 2023 compared with the three months ended February 2022. The largest negative contributors to this decrease were:

·          retailers in hardware, paint and glass (-6,1% and contributing -0,5 of a percentage point); and

·          general dealers (-0,6% and contributing -0,3 of a percentage point).

The largest positive contributor was retailers in textiles, clothing, footwear and leather goods (3,5% and contributing 0,7 of a percentage point).

Seasonally adjusted retail trade sales increased by 1,2% in the three months ended February 2023 compared with the previous three months. The largest contributors to this increase were:

·          retailers in textiles, clothing, footwear and leather goods (4,0% and contributing 0,7 of a percentage point); and

·          all ‘other’ retailers (2,8% and contributing 0,3 of a percentage point).