In particular, shoppers increased spending on their homes, including furniture, floor coverings, houseware, textiles, electrical and electronic goods. Economists see the cause in flat inflation and stable prices.
Economist Gareth Kiernan of Infometrics said that growth was based on the construction and tourism-related spending.
Basically, it was hardware, building and garden supply stores that benefited most and saw a 5% growth.
As Gareth Kiernan put it, there was no surprise that hardware sales increased, what was due to the housing market’s strength.