Seasonally adjusted data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) indicates a slight decline in retail turnover by 0.1% for April 2025.
The downturn comes after the sector experienced growth of 0.3% in March and 0.2% in February.
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The retail landscape has shown varying performance across sectors. There were significant decreases in clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing, which dropped 2.5%, and department stores also saw a 2.5% reduction in turnover.
These declines were somewhat balanced by increases in other sectors such as household goods retailing, which rose 0.6%.
ABS business statistics head Robert Ewing stated: “Retail spending eased in April, particularly on clothing purchases.
“Falls were partly offset by a bounce-back in Queensland as businesses recovered from the negative impacts of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred last month.
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By GlobalData“Clothing retailers told us that the warmer-than-usual weather for April saw people holding off on buying clothing items, especially new winter season stock.”
Food-related spending, which has been a driving force behind recent retail growth, continued its upward trajectory as cafés, restaurants and takeaway food services saw a 1.1% increase in turnover. However, this was partially negated by a 0.3% fall in food retailing.
Ewing added: “The rise in food-related spending was driven by more dining out in Queensland this month. The bounce-back comes after adverse weather negatively impacted café and restaurant sales.”
Retail turnover saw regional variations, with Queensland registering a 1.4% increase and Western Australia noting modest growth of 0.4%.
All other states and territories witnessed a decrease in retail turnover in a shift from the growth seen in March.
Ewing added: “Queensland retailers recovered from last month’s temporary business closures and fewer customers.
“In April, we saw higher spending in the industries most impacted by ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred. More people dined out and made recovery purchases on household items like furniture and electrical goods.”
