Retail turnover falls 0.3 per cent in January

Australian retail turnover fell 0.3 per cent in January 2020, seasonally adjusted, according to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Retail Trade figures.

This follows a fall of 0.7 per cent in December 2019.

"Bushfires in January negatively impacted a range of retail businesses across a variety of industries" said Ben James, Director of Quarterly Economy Wide Surveys. "Retailers reported a range of impacts that reduced customer numbers, including interruptions to trading hours and tourism."

There were falls for household goods retailing (-1.1 per cent), department stores (-2.2 per cent), clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing (-1.1 per cent), cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services (-0.3 per cent), and other retailing (-0.1 per cent). These falls were partially offset by a rise in food retailing (0.4 per cent).

In seasonally adjusted terms, there were falls in Western Australia (-1.1 per cent), Victoria (-0.2 per cent), the Australian Capital Territory (-2.3 per cent), New South Wales (-0.1 per cent), Queensland (-0.1 per cent), Tasmania (-0.5 per cent), and the Northern Territory (-0.5 per cent). South Australia (0.1 per cent) rose in seasonally adjusted terms in January 2020.

The trend estimate for Australian retail turnover rose 0.1 per cent in January 2020, following a 0.1 per cent rise in December 2019. Compared to January 2019, the trend estimate rose 2.3 per cent

Online retail turnover contributed 6.3 per cent to total retail turnover in original terms in January 2020. In January 2019, online retail turnover contributed 5.6 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).