Irish retail representative group Retail Ireland has said that it is ‘optimistic’ that Christmas 2015 would meet earlier positive expectations.
Key indicators published by Retail Ireland early in the month pointed to the best Christmas for retail since 2008, including a 3.5% annual rise in December sales worth €150 million. Feedback from key retailers suggests the sector is on course to hit these growth targets following strong trading during December.
In keeping with trends of recent years, the traditional New Year sales are starting earlier than ever, with a number of key retailers launching major sales just before Christmas Day and others on 26 December.
“We fully expect the sector to grow by 3.5% this year when compared with Christmas 2014 and some retailers are reporting even stronger growth,” said Retail Ireland director Thomas Burke. “However, this is region dependent as Dublin and the other urban centres continue to lead the way over regional towns and villages that are not recording such a strong performance.
A particular trend highlighted by various retailers this Christmas included intense competition in the grocery sector, with consumers benefiting from deep discounting on a variety of ranges as supermarkets battle for hearts, minds and footfall.
“With 60,000 more people at work this year, disposable income rising and increased consumer optimism about the future, we are now hopeful that this strong performance can continue into 2016,” concluded Burke.
© 2015 - Checkout Magazine by Stephen Wynne-Jones
