January retail trade sales increase

The highest annual growth rates were recorded for:

• retailers in textiles, clothing, footwear and leather goods (11.6%);
  
• retailers in hardware, paint and glass (9.9%); and
  
• general dealers (6.9%).

The main contributors to the 6.8% increase were general dealers (contributing 2,8 percentage points) and retailers in textiles, clothing, footwear and leather goods (contributing 2,3 percentage points).

Seasonally adjusted retail trade sales increased by 0.8% month-on-month in January 2014. This followed month-on-month changes of 1.0% in December 2013 and 1.5% in November 2013.

Seasonally adjusted retail trade sales increased by 2.1% in the three months ended January 2014 compared with the previous three months.

Retail trade sales increased by 4.3% in the three months ended January 2014 compared with the three months ended January 2013. The main contributors to this increase were retailers in textiles, clothing, footwear and leather goods (8.5% and contributing 1,9 percentage points); and general dealers (4.4% and contributing 1,7 percentage points).