In spite of a general increase of 6.8% in the volume and a 7.3% rise in the value of Ireland’s retail sales in September, according to the country’s Central Statistics Office, leather and footwear sales slumped.

The leather and footwear sector posted the largest decrease in volume of any product group at -6%. Whether this is just a blip or a sign of consumers tightening their belts in the face of higher energy costs and interest rates or merely the result of a mild start to the winter remains to be seen.

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