Retail sales in Ireland rose by 0.6% month-on-month in August 2026, easing from an upwardly revised six-month high of 1.6% in the previous month, marking the weakest growth since April. The slowdown was mainly driven by notable declines in sales of pharmaceuticals, medical and cosmetic articles (-4.3%) and fuel (-2.8%). Fuel sales also weakened, falling by 2.3% in value, while increasing by 1.8% in volume. On the other hand, the declines were partly offset by increases in sales of furniture and lighting (+2.6%), clothing, footwear, and textiles (+2.2%), and bars (+1.9%). On an annual basis, retail activity jumped 4.3% in August, following an upwardly revised 2.7% growth in the preceding period, marking the highest growth since August 2023.