Measured in real terms (constant 2019 prices), retail trade sales decreased by 0,9% year-on-year in November 2023. The largest negative contributors to this decrease were retailers in:

·         hardware, paint and glass (-5,3% and contributing -0,4 of a percentage point); and

·          textiles, clothing, footwear and leather goods (-2,0% and contributing -0,4 of a percentage point).

Seasonally adjusted retail trade sales increased by 0,4% in November 2023 compared with October 2023. This followed month-on-month changes of -1,4% in October 2023 and 0,0% in September 2023.

Retail trade sales decreased by 0,7% in the three months ended November 2023 compared with the three months ended November 2022. The largest negative contributors to this decrease were:

·          general dealers (-1,8% and contributing -0,8 of a percentage point); and

·          retailers in hardware, paint and glass (-5,7% and contributing -0,5 of a percentage point).

Retailers in textiles, clothing, footwear and leather goods was the largest positive contributor (5,0% and contributing 0,9 of a percentage point).

Seasonally adjusted retail trade sales decreased by 0,5% in the three months ended November 2023 compared with the previous three months. The largest negative contributor to the decrease was all ‘other’ retailers (-1,4% and contributing -0,2 of a percentage point).