Australia’s retail sales rose just 0.2% mom in May, falling short of expectations for a 0.3% rise. The modest increase was largely due to a rebound in clothing purchases, while spending on food fell and household goods remained flat.
Robert Ewing, ABS head of business statistics, noted that aside from the lift in clothing, retail spending was generally “restrained”.
He also noted that this dataset is nearing its conclusion, with July’s release set to be the last edition of Retail Trade. Going forward, the Monthly Household Spending Indicator (MHSI), which leverages administrative data, will replace it as a more comprehensive tool for tracking household consumption trends.
