Retail Trade, Australia

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Monthly and quarterly estimates of turnover and volumes for retail businesses, including store and online sales.

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Reference period
May 2021
Released
5/07/2021
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Key statistics

The May 2021 seasonally adjusted estimate: 

  • Rose 0.4% month-on-month.
  • This updates the 0.1% rise from the Preliminary Retail Trade release. 
  • Rose 7.7% compared with May 2020.
Turnover at current prices
May-2021 ($m)Apr-2021 to May-2021 (% change)May-2020 to May-2021 (% change)
Trendnanana
Seasonally Adjusted31,158.30.47.7

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Upcoming changes to Retail Trade, Australia

The Retail Trade, Australia publication will be moving to a new release schedule to better accommodate data users’ needs following the discontinuation of Retail Trade, Australia, Preliminary next month.

To understand more about any changes to the future release schedule, as well as changes in this issue, suspension of trend estimates, and COVID-19 in May 2021, please read the survey impacts and changes.

Total retail turnover

Analysis by industry

Food retailing

Food retailing rose 1.1% ($141.4m) in May, in seasonally adjusted terms.                   

By industry subgroup, the seasonally adjusted estimate:                         

  • rose 1.9% ($188.8m) for Supermarket and grocery stores.

  • fell 2.0% (-$25.1m) for Liquor retailing.

  • fell 2.5% (-$22.3m) for Other specialised food retailing.

Household goods retailing

Household goods retailing fell 1.1% (-$59.8m) in May, in seasonally adjusted terms.       

By industry subgroup, the seasonally adjusted estimate:                         

  • fell 2.4% (-$36.4m) for Furniture, floor coverings, houseware and textile goods retailing.      

  • fell 1.0% (-$21.8m) for Electrical and electronic goods retailing.

  • fell 0.1% (-$1.7m) for Hardware, building and garden supplies retailing.  

Clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing

Clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing was relatively unchanged 0.0% (-$0.7m) in May, in seasonally adjusted terms.               

By industry subgroup, the seasonally adjusted estimate:                         

  • fell 0.4% (-$7.3m) for Clothing retailing.

  • rose 0.8% ($6.6m) for Footwear and other personal accessory retailing.

Department stores

Department stores fell 0.7% (-$11.3m) in May, in seasonally adjusted terms.

Other retailing

Other retailing rose 0.7% ($30.7m) in May, in seasonally adjusted terms.                 

By industry subgroup, the seasonally adjusted estimate:                         

  • rose 1.3% ($26.3m) for Other retailing n.e.c..                 

  • rose 0.8% ($15.0m) for Pharmaceutical, cosmetic and toiletry goods retailing.                        

  • rose 0.2% ($1.0m) for Other recreational goods retailing.                            

  • fell 5.1% (-$11.6m) for Newspaper and book retailing.                 

              

Cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services

Café, restaurants and takeaway food services rose 0.7% ($29.8m) in May, in seasonally adjusted terms.               

By industry subgroup, the seasonally adjusted estimate:                         

  • rose 1.8% ($41.1m) for Cafes, restaurants and catering services.                

  • fell 0.6% (-$11.3m) for Takeaway food services.

     

Original estimates for chains and larger retailers, and smaller retailers

  • The original estimate for chains and other larger retailers rose 3.7% in May 2021.
  • The original estimate for smaller retailers rose 2.1% in May 2021.

Data downloads

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Time series spreadsheets

Data files

Survey impacts and changes

Upcoming changes to the Retail Trade, Australia release schedule

Changes in this issue

Suspension of trend series

Coronavirus (COVID-19) in May

Previous catalogue number

This release previously used catalogue number 8501.0.

Inquiries

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Methodology

Retail Trade, Australia methodology, May 2021

Articles

Media releases