Retail sales rose by 1.1% in December according to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office.
The year-on-year growth was slightly lower at 0.8%.
The value of retail sales rose by 1.1% in the month of December and was up by 0.3% in the 12 months to December.
The sectors with the biggest monthly volume increases were car sales, which rose by 6.3%, while clothing, footwear and textiles sales increased by 2.9% and sales of pharmaceuticals, medical and cosmetic articles were up 2.1%.
The largest monthly volume decreases were recorded in fuel sales, which dropped by 3%, while furniture and lighting sales were down 1.2%, and sales in bars fell by 1.1%.
On an annual basis, the CSO said the sectors with the highest annual volume growth in December were clothing, footwear and textiles, which jumped by 8.8%.
While sales of food, beverages and tobacco in specialised stores were up 6.8%, sales in department stores increased by 6.4% and …