Fashion pulse: Ireland - August 2026

Consumer prices (August)

Clothing and footwear prices in Ireland rose 3.1 percent year-on-year in August 2026, according to Ireland's Central Statistics Office (CSO), down from 8.5 percent in July. Headline consumer price inflation rose to 3.7 percent from 3.4 percent, so clothing and footwear inflation ran 0.6 percentage points below the headline rate. On the month, clothing and footwear prices rose 3.6 percent, compared with a 9.0 percent rise in August 2025.

Clothing prices rose 2.8 percent YoY and footwear prices 4.2 percent, according to the CSO. Within clothing, prices of garments for men and boys rose 3.1 percent and of garments for women and girls 2.7 percent, while women's footwear rose 5.5 percent.

Retail sales (August, preliminary)

The volume of retail sales of textiles, clothing and footwear rose 6.8 percent YoY in August, seasonally adjusted, after a 1.6 percent fall in July, according to preliminary CSO data. In August 2025, the category's sales volume had fallen 5.9 percent from July, which lowered the comparison base. The value of sales in the category rose 6.4 percent YoY, and sales volume rose 2.2 percent from July.

Total retail sales volume excluding motor trades rose 3.0 percent YoY in August and 0.2 percent from July, according to preliminary CSO data.

Card spending (August, preliminary)

Irish-resident card spending on clothing at Irish merchants fell 3.9 percent YoY to 278.3 million euros in August, according to the Central Bank of Ireland, though it rose 5.2 percent from July. Including payments to merchants abroad, total clothing card spending rose 2.2 percent YoY to 436.8 million euros, while online clothing spending rose 8.5 percent, with the increase coming from foreign merchants.

Consumer sentiment (August)

The Credit Union Consumer Sentiment Index, published by the Irish League of Credit Unions with Core Research, rose to 63.2 in August from 61.6 in July, a change the publisher described as small and statistically insignificant. The publisher said this was the highest reading since February 2026, while the index remained well below its long-term average of 83.1.

Monetary policy and currency (August)

The European Central Bank's deposit facility rate remained at 2.25 percent throughout August, a month without a monetary policy meeting. Irish unemployment was unchanged at 5.0 percent in August, seasonally adjusted, according to the CSO. The euro averaged 1.1593 dollars and 0.8561 pounds in August, up 1.5 percent and 0.3 percent respectively from July, according to the ECB, though it was 0.3 percent weaker against the dollar and 1.1 percent weaker against the pound than in August 2025.

The bottom line

Irish clothing and footwear prices rose 3.1 percent YoY in August, 0.6 percentage points below headline inflation of 3.7 percent and well below July's 8.5 percent. Preliminary CSO data show textiles, clothing and footwear sales volume up 6.8 percent YoY against a weak August 2025 base, while domestic card spending on clothing fell 3.9 percent. Consumer sentiment edged up to 63.2, still well below its long-term average.

Note: this article combines the most recent official data available at the time of writing. Reporting lags differ by indicator and country, so not all figures refer to the same month. Each data point is labelled with its reference period.