The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) retail trade figures showed an overall increase in retail turnover of 0.4 per cent in June and a 0.2 per cent increase for liquor retailing, seasonally adjusted.
There were also rises for cafes, restaurants and takeaways (0.9 per cent) and household goods (0.4 per cent). Other retailing (0.0 per cent) was relatively unchanged, while department stores (-1.2 per cent) fell in June 2018.
In seasonally adjusted terms, there were rises in Victoria (1.1 per cent), New South Wales (0.4 per cent), Western Australia (0.2 per cent), the Australian Capital Territory (1.2 per cent), and Tasmania (0.9 per cent). South Australia (0.0 per cent) was relatively unchanged in June 2018. There were falls in Queensland (-0.3 per cent) and the Northern Territory (-0.4 per cent).
“Food retailing (0.4 per cent) led the rises,” said Ben James, Director of Quarterly Economy Wide Surveys. “Clothing, footwear and personal accessories rose 1.7 per cent, following a 2.3 per cent rise in May.”
In current prices, the trend estimate for food retailing rose 0.4 per cent in June 2018. The seasonally adjusted estimate rose 0.4 per cent. By industry subgroup, the trend estimate rose for supermarket and grocery stores (0.3 per cent), liquor retailing (0.2 per cent), and other specialised food retailing (0.1 per cent). The seasonally adjusted estimate rose for supermarkets (0.4 per cent) and other specialised food retailing (0.6 per cent), and fell for liquor retailing (-0.1 per cent).
In terms of cafés, restaurants and takeaway food services, the trend estimate rose by 0.2 per cent and the seasonally adjusted estimate increased by 0.9 per cent.
Online retail turnover contributed 5.7 per cent of total retail turnover in original terms in June 2018, a rise from 5.6 per cent in May 2018. In June 2017 online retail turnover contributed 4.1 per cent to total retail.
For the June quarter, there was a 1.2 per cent rise in seasonally adjusted volume terms, which follows a rise of 0.2 per cent in the March quarter 2018. The quarterly rise in volumes was led by food (1.6 per cent), household goods (1.4 per cent) and clothing, footwear and personal accessories (2.0 per cent). By state, New South Wales (1.7 per cent) and Victoria (1.7 per cent) led the rises.