Australia’s retail turnover recorded a modest increase of 0.2% in May 2025, according to the latest seasonally adjusted figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

This growth follows a stagnant performance in April and mirrors the rise seen in March.

The increase was primarily driven by non-food related spending, with notable gains in clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing, which surged 2.9%, and department stores which saw a 2.6% rise.

ABS business statistics head Robert Ewing stated: "Clothing retailers and department stores were boosted by people buying winter clothes, having held off on those purchases with the warmer-than-usual weather last month."

The rebound follows significant declines for both sectors in April. Meanwhile, the other retailing sector did not perform as well, with a slight decline of 0.2% observed, and household goods retailing remained stagnant.

Food-related spending experienced a downturn for the first time in 2025. Food retailing fell 0.4%, contributing to the overall dip, while spending in cafés, restaurants and takeaway food services remained unchanged.

The increase in retail turnover was not uniform across the country. Western Australia led with a 0.7% rise.

Ewing added: "The growth in retail turnover in Western Australia continued with spending up for a seventh straight month.”

However, spending in other regions was less robust, with Tasmania experiencing a slight decrease of 0.1% while the Northern Territory's turnover remained flat.

The ABS has also announced that the Retail Business Survey and the Retail Trade Publication are set to conclude after the June 2025 release.

The final publication, scheduled for 31 July 2025, will include monthly estimates and quarterly volumes for June 2025.