INDUSTRY TRENDS


MONTHLY SEASONALLY ADJUSTED AND TREND ESTIMATES


TOTAL RETAIL

There has been moderate trend growth for 21 months. Food retailing has had four months of moderate trend growth following five months of strong growth. Department stores (three months) and Clothing and soft good retailing (five months) have had strong trend growth. Hospitality and services has had two months of weak trend growth following five months of moderate growth.

FOOD RETAILING

There has been moderate trend growth for four months following five months of strong growth. New South Wales has had 12 months of moderate trend growth. Western Australia and the Australian Capital Territory had moderate growth in July 2007 following strong growth for nine and six months respectively. Queensland (18 months), Tasmania (eight months) and the Northern Territory (three months) have had strong growth.

DEPARTMENT STORES

The trend growth has been strong for three months. New South Wales and Western Australia have followed the same pattern, while Queensland has had four months of strong trend growth. Victoria has had three months of weak growth.

CLOTHING AND SOFT GOOD RETAILING

There has been five months of strong trend growth. New South Wales (four months), Victoria (13 months), Queensland (five months) and South Australia (two months) have had strong trend growth. The Australian Capital Territory had moderate growth in July 2007 following eight months of strong growth. Western Australia has had weak trend growth for the last two months.

HOUSEHOLD GOOD RETAILING

Trend growth has been slowing since January 2007, with weak growth in July 2007. New South Wales and Queensland have also had a slowing trend and were flat in July. Victoria had weak trend growth in July following ten months of moderate growth. The Northern Territory has had eight months of strong growth.

RECREATIONAL GOOD RETAILING

The trend growth was weak in July 2007 after being in decline for five months. New South Wales (six months), Victoria (five months), and the Australian Capital Territory (three months) have been in decline. Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania had strong trend growth in July 2007, while the remaining two states were flat.

OTHER RETAILING

Trend growth has been growing since November 2006 with moderate growth recorded in July 2007. New South Wales (three months) and Queensland (five months) have had strong trend growth. Victoria (13 months), South Australia (six months) and the Australian Capital Territory (five months) have been in decline.

TOTAL RETAIL (EXCLUDING HOSPITALITY AND SERVICES)

Over the last seven months, the trend growth for Total retail (excluding Hospitality and services) has mostly been stronger than Total industries (including Hospitality and services).

HOSPITALITY AND SERVICES

There has been weak trend growth for two months following five months of moderate growth. Queensland (six months), South Australia (six months), Tasmania (five months) and the Australian Capital Territory (two months) have had strong growth, while the remaining states have been in decline for at least three months.