8501.0 - Retail Trade, Australia, Apr 2018  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 04/06/2018   
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MEDIA RELEASE
Embargoed 11:30am (AEDT)
Retail turnover rises 0.4 per cent in April



Australian retail turnover rose 0.4 per cent in April 2018, seasonally adjusted, with cafes, restaurants and takeaways leading the rise assisted by an unusually warm April across much of Australia, according to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Retail Trade figures.

This follows a relatively unchanged result (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, "whilst 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.

More detailed industry analysis and further information on the statistical methodology is available in Retail Trade, Australia (cat no. 8501.0).

Media note:

    • For a detailed definition of each industry group and subgroup in terms of its ANZSIC 2006 classes, please refer to paragraph 6 of the Explanatory Notes.
    • Estimates of online retail turnover are only available in original terms and are not available in seasonally adjusted or trend terms.
    • Along with the monthly current price estimates that reflect both price and volume changes, the March, June, September and December publications also present quarterly estimates that reflect volume and price changes separately.
    • When reporting ABS data, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (or ABS) must be attributed as the source.
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