Retail turnover in Australia inched up by 0.1% in April, according to the latest seasonally adjusted figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). This minor increase comes after a 0.4% decline in March and a 0.2% rise in February.
“Underlying retail spending continues to be weak with a small rise in turnover in April not enough to make up for a fall in March,” said Ben Dorber (pictured), head of retail statistics at the ABS. “Since the start of 2024, trend retail turnover has been flat as cautious consumers reduce their discretionary spending.”
In April, turnover increased in most non-food related industries. Other retailing saw the largest rise, up by 1.6%, followed by household goods retailing, up 0.7%, and department stores, up 0.1%. Conversely, clothing, footwear, and personal accessory retailing saw a 0.7% decrease.
Dorber said that the earlier Easter and the different timing of school holidays across the country caused added volatility in turnover in March and April. He noted that there has been weak underlying spending over the past two months.
Food-related spending showed mixed results. Food retailing decreased by 0.5%, while cafes, restaurants, and takeaway food services increased by 0.3%.
“The fall in food retailing is a partial reversal of last month’s rise of 0.8 per cent, where the earlier-than-usual Easter boosted spending, particularly on alcohol,” Dorber said. “Retailers told us spending on alcohol dropped off as consumers brought purchases forward into March and because they are increasingly opting for cheaper alcoholic products.”
Growth in retail turnover varied by region. New South Wales recorded the largest increase, up 0.7%, followed by South Australia, up 0.5%. Turnover remained relatively unchanged in Western Australia, Tasmania, and the Northern Territory.
The bureau said additional details for the April reference period will be released on June 4, 2024. The ABS has also announced that it will stop publishing Retail Trade, Australia in July 2025. Further information is available on the ABS website.
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