Retail sales of furniture and lighting in Ireland saw both annual and monthly growth in April 2025, according to the latest data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
© Follow The Flow | Dreamstime
Volume sales in the category rose by 6.7% year-on-year and 1.5% compared to March. The value of these sales also increased by 2.3% annually and 4.7% month-on-month, reflecting continued consumer interest in home-related purchases.
Overall Irish retail sales grew in April, with monthly volume up 1.1% and value rising by 1.3%. Compared to April 2024, retail volume was 3.0% higher, while value increased by 3.5%.
Department stores saw a mixed performance, with a 5.6% annual drop in volume, though sales grew 6.4% month-on-month. The value of sales in this sector rose 0.4% monthly and 2.5% annually.
Despite growth in key categories, online sales slightly declined. The proportion of retail transactions conducted online by Irish-registered companies was 5.0% in April, down from 5.6% in the same month last year.
Tommy Allen of the CSO noted that while overall retail performance was positive, excluding motor trades revealed a slight dip in monthly volume of 0.1%, though annual growth remained at 1.1%.
Other sectors that recorded monthly volume increases included books, newspapers and stationery (+2.0%), and food, beverages and tobacco in specialised stores (+1.3%). In contrast, declines were seen in clothing, footwear and textiles (-1.4%), electrical goods (-1.1%), and other retail sales (-1.1%).
The data suggests a stable consumer environment with particular strength in home-related categories, as Irish shoppers continue to invest in furniture and lighting.
Source: www.bigfurnituregroup.com