Australian retail turnover rose 0.4 per cent in March 2016, seasonally adjusted, according to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Retail Trade figures.
This follows a rise of 0.1 per cent in February 2016.
In seasonally adjusted terms, there were rises in food retailing (0.6 per cent), clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing (1.1 per cent), other retailing (0.4 per cent) and household goods retailing (0.1 per cent). Turnover in cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services was relatively unchanged (0.0 per cent). Department stores fell (-0.5 per cent) in March 2016.
In seasonally adjusted terms there were rises in Victoria (0.5 per cent), New South Wales (0.4 per cent), Western Australia (0.7 per cent), Queensland (0.2 per cent), South Australia (0.2 per cent) and Tasmania (0.6 per cent). There were falls in the Australian Capital Territory (-0.6 per cent) and the Northern Territory (-0.2 per cent).
The trend estimate for Australian retail turnover rose 0.2 per cent in March 2016 following a 0.2 per cent rise in February 2016. Compared to March 2015 the trend estimate rose 3.6 per cent.
Online retail turnover contributed 3.1 per cent to total retail turnover in original terms.
In seasonally adjusted volume terms, turnover rose 0.5 per cent in the March quarter 2016, following a rise of 0.6 per cent in the December quarter 2015. The largest contributor to the rise was clothing, footwear and personal accessories retailing, which rose 3.5 per cent in seasonally adjusted volume terms in the March quarter 2016.
