Australia retail sales rose 8.5% mom in March. Growth was recorded in food retailing (24.1%), other retailing (16.6%), and household goods retailing (9.1%). Contraction was seen in cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services (-22.9%), clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing (-22.6%), and department stores (-8.9%).
“COVID-19 heavily impacted retail trade in March” said Ben James, Director of Quarterly Economy Wide Surveys. “There was unprecedented demand in food retailing, household goods, and other retailing. However the impact of social distancing regulations saw sales fall in cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services, and discretionary spending in clothing footwear and personal accessory retailing, and department stores, was also weak. The March month saw both the strongest rise in food retailing, and the strongest fall in cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services, that we have seen in the history of the series.”
