CONSUMPTION


RETAIL TRADE

Western Australia's retail turnover (trend) recorded a total of $6,419 million in the three months to April 2008, a decline of 0.1% ($8 million) compared to the previous three month period. The 0.1% decline was the first decrease since the three months to January 2001 (down 0.8% or $30 million). The nation's retail turnover increased by 0.2% in the three months to April 2008, lower than the rise of 1.2% in the previous three month period.

The decline in Western Australia's retail turnover (trend) for the three months to April 2008 (compared to the previous three months) was primarily driven by price falls in Household good retailing (down $49 million or 4.3%), Hospitality and services (down $28 million or 3.3%) and Clothing and soft good retailing (down $1 million or 0.1%). The main industries offsetting the decline in Western Australia's retail turnover were Recreational good retailing (up $40 million or 13.9%), Other retailing (up $16 million or 2.6%) and Food retailing (up $14 million or 0.5%).


NEW MOTOR VEHICLE SALES

In Western Australia, sales of passenger vehicles (trend) fell for nine consecutive months, peaking at 5,716 vehicles for August 2007 and declining to 5,389 vehicles in May 2008. Sales of Sport utilities on the other hand, rose for ten consecutive months from June 2007 (2,035 vehicles) to March 2008 (2,239 vehicles) before declining for two consecutive months to 2,217 vehicles in May 2008.

For the three months to May 2008, sales of new motor vehicles (trend) in Western Australia decreased by 0.4% (137) to 10,217 vehicles, following a growth 0.3% (104) recorded in the previous three month period. The declining growth can be attributable to the decrease in passenger vehicles, down 2.1% (356) in the three months to May 2008. Conversely, Other vehicles sales (other vehicles comprise utilities, panel vans, cab chassis, goods carry vans, rigid trucks, prime movers, non-freight carrying trucks, and buses) rose 2.1% (161) and Sports utility vehicles grew 0.9% (58) to 6,685 vehicles.