8501.0 - Retail Trade, Australia, Feb 2018  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 04/04/2018   
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4 April 2018

MEDIA RELEASE
Embargo: 11.30 am (Canberra time)
Retail turnover rises 0.6 per cent in February


Australian retail turnover rose 0.6 per cent in February 2018, seasonally adjusted, according to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Retail Trade figures.

This follows a 0.2 per cent rise in January 2018.

"All industries saw rises in February" said Ben James, Director of Quarterly Economy Wide Surveys, "led by household goods retailing (1.1 per cent), food retailing (0.3 per cent), cafe's restaurants and takeaways (0.7 per cent) and clothing, footwear and personal accessories (1.1 per cent). Department stores rose (1.5 per cent) after falls in each of the preceding three months. Other retailing also rose (0.2 per cent)."

In seasonally adjusted terms, there were rises in New South Wales (1.1 per cent), Victoria (1.1 per cent), South Australia (0.7 per cent), the Northern Territory (1.1 per cent), the Australian Capital Territory (0.5 per cent), and Tasmania (0.3 per cent). Western Australia (-0.6 per cent) and Queensland (-0.3 per cent) fell in seasonally adjusted terms.

The trend estimate for Australian retail turnover rose 0.4 per cent in February 2018 following a rise (0.3 per cent) in January 2018. Compared to February 2017 the trend estimate rose 2.7 per cent.

Online retail turnover contributed 5.1 per cent to total retail turnover in original terms in February 2018. In February 2017 online retail turnover contributed 3.6 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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