Measured in real terms (constant 2019 prices), retail trade sales decreased by 1,6% year-on-year in April 2023. The largest negative contributors to this decrease were:

·         general dealers (-2,8% and contributing -1,2 percentage points);

·          retailers in food, beverages and tobacco in specialised stores (-6,2% and contributing -0,5 of a percentage point); and

·          all ‘other’ retailers (-4,2% and contributing -0,5 of a percentage point).

Seasonally adjusted retail trade sales increased by 0,4% in April 2023 compared with March 2023. This followed month-on-month changes of -0,6% in March 2023 and -0,4% in February 2023.

Retail trade sales decreased by 1,3% in the three months ended April 2023 compared with the three months ended April 2022. The largest negative contributors to this decrease were:

·          general dealers (-2,0% and contributing -0,9 of a percentage point); and

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

The positive contributor was retailers in textiles, clothing, footwear and leather goods (4,9% and contributing 0,8 of a percentage point).The positive contributor was retailers in textiles, clothing, footwear and leather goods (4,9% and contributing 0,8 of a percentage point).

Seasonally adjusted retail trade sales was flat in the three months ended April 2023 compared with the previous three months. The largest positive contributor was retailers in textiles, clothing, footwear and leather goods (2,1% and contributing 0,4 of a percentage point). The largest negative contributor was all ‘other’ retailers (-2,3% and contributing -0,2 of a percentage point).