Australia’s retailer turnover rose 0.4 per cent in April, seasonally adjusted, with cafes, restaurants and takeaways leading the way according to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Retail Trade figures.
The ABS said that the unusually warm April across much of Australia helped to push the increase, which follows an unchanged result of 0.0 per cent in March 2018.
“Cafes, restaurants and takeaways (1.3 per cent) led the rises,” said Ben James, Director of Quarterly Economy Wide Surveys, “while there were also rises in other retailing (0.9 per cent), food retailing (0.3 per cent) and household goods retailing (0.7 per cent). The rises were partially offset by falls in clothing, footwear and personal accessories (-0.8 per cent) and department stores (-0.9 per cent).”
“While industries including Cafes, restaurants and takeaways can benefit from warm weather, there were likely negative impacts for some businesses in clothing, footwear and personal accessories and department stores.”
In seasonally adjusted terms, there were rises in New South Wales (0.7 per cent), Victoria (0.3 per cent), Western Australia (0.7 per cent), Queensland (0.1 per cent), the Northern Territory (2.6 per cent), Tasmania (0.9 per cent) and the Australian Capital Territory (0.6 per cent). South Australia (-0.6 per cent) fell in seasonally adjusted terms.
The trend estimate for Australian retail turnover rose 0.3 per cent in April 2018 following a rise (0.3 per cent) in March 2018. Compared to April 2017 the trend estimate rose 2.6 per cent.
Online retail turnover contributed 5.4 per cent to total retail turnover in original terms in April 2018, a rise from 5.1 per cent in March 2018. In April 2017 online retail turnover contributed 3.4 per cent to total retail.
According to the ABS figures, in current prices, the trend estimate for food retailing rose 0.4 per cent in April 2018. The seasonally adjusted estimate rose 0.3 per cent.
By industry subgroup, the trend estimate rose for supermarket and grocery stores (0.3 per cent), and for liquor retailing (0.5 per cent). The seasonally adjusted estimate also rose for supermarket and grocery stores (0.8 per cent) and for liquor retailing (0.4 per cent).