Retail Trade

Retail trade rose by a seasonally adjusted 1.2% in June, significantly faster than the 0.4% increase expected by the markets. Retail sales volumes rose by 0.3% in Q2, against the market expectations of a flat result. This was the last release of the retail trade report; it will be replaced by the more comprehensive household spending report.

Retail trade rose a seasonally adjusted 0.2% in May, somewhat less than the 0.5% increase expected by the markets. The increase in May was possible thanks to gains in department store sales (+2.6%) as well as clothing, footwear and personal accessories retailing (+2.9%), which followed similar declines in the previous month.

Retail trade ebbed a seasonally adjusted 0.1% in April, which was a downside surprise to market participants who expected a 0.3% gain. The decline in April followed three consecutive months of moderate increases.

Nominal retail trade rose a seasonally adjusted 0.3% in March, slightly missing market expectations for a 0.4% gain. Retail sales volumes were flat in Q1, following solid gains in the second half of 2024.

Retail trade rose a seasonally adjusted 0.2% in February, which was slightly less than the 0.3% gain pencilled in by the market consensus. Following solid gains in late 2024, the pace of revival in consumer spending slowed in the first two months of this year, with a clear shift away from discretionary goods.

Retail trade rose a seasonally adjusted 0.3% in January, in line with the market consensus, which followed an unrevised 0.1% decline in December and 0.7% rise in November. The annual rate of growth decelerated by 0.7ppts to 3.8%, down from a 21-month high in December. Western Australian retail trade rose by 0.4% in January, to be up by 5.5% through the year, the most of all the states.