Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
EACH IRISH HOUSEHOLD is estimated to have spent €2,800 in shops in December after an “erratic and unpredictable” year in shopping.
Retail Ireland, the representative group for the retail sector, published its Christmas Retail Monitor 2019 today.
This report showed a 3.4% increase in spending this month compared to December last year.
Consumer spending is set to reach almost €5 billion for this month alone, €1.6 billion more than the average spend in any other month during the year.
€4.75 billion was spent in December 2018.
“Retailers have reported strong trading over the recent fortnight, making up for a slower start in some categories,” said Retail Ireland director Arnold Dillon.
“The spending power is there in the economy, but retailers are having to compete aggressively to attract consumers to their offering.”
The extra money spent during the Christmas period equates to around €940 more per household compared to other months, with a total of €2,800 spent throughout December in the average household.
The last year has been “erratic and unpredictable” for retailers mainly due to Brexit uncertainty, the report says.
Irish people spent €15.9 billion in online shopping in the first nine months of 2019, according to data from the Central Bank.
The price of consumer goods is reported to have fallen by 1.7% in the first ten months of this year. Retail sales rose by 2.8% during this period.
Currently, growth in online sales is six times greater than that of physical shops.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
How is that average. Seems way too high!!
@Mark H: there’s a big demand for 2020 cars which might be pushing it up…
@Mark H: All this has a familiar ring to it, I remember all these headlines before we got bailed out by the EU and IMF…..lets face it we have it coming don’t we, I am sure we will have the same idiots on here blaming the EU again its all their fault that they let us borrow so much money lol…….
@Mark H: it’s actually just 940… as it says at the end of the article… as almost 1400 is ‘spent’ every other month also…. ridiculous headline!!!
People are entitled to spend how they like. They are taxed to the bullocks so after the government have got their share the rest is none of their business.
How much of that will end up in the bin after Christmas I wonder. Any figures on that?
@Gerry Hannan: What’s it to you what people do with what they buy?
Waiting for the ” what about the homeless ” comments
Can’t believe a word out of retail Ireland. The same ones that blame everyone but themselves when things are bad.
They’ll have to wait until tomorrow so they can include my Christmas shopping!
And wait for it… the whingers will be along any minutes saying that there is no money, who could afford to spend that? The boom is back baby!
@HuffnPuff: Credit card central baby.
15.9billion € in 9 months online shopping in Ireland..bloody hell.i thought this was a year of recycling and second hand shopping.and sales..and it was the first 9 months..????
I sometimes feel that we as a society are eating, drinking and being merry on the edge of an economic precipice.
Anyone earning over €50000 maybe..
Seems ridiculously high, we spent nowhere near that, or is that the D5 average?
What is the average on other months?
I meant: a month by month average as opposed to the €940 less on average
@Claude Saulnier: €1860
@Declan Grace: tx I could do the math. I meant every month of the year split from real figures
have your say