MEDIA RELEASE
4 November 2016	Embargoed: 11.30 am (Canberra time)	118/2016

Australian retail turnover rose 0.6 per cent in September 2016, seasonally adjusted, according to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Retail Trade figures.

This follows a rise of 0.5 per cent in August 2016.

In seasonally adjusted terms, there were rises in household goods retailing (2.3 per cent), cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services (1.0 per cent), food retailing (0.2 per cent) and department stores (0.5 per cent). There were falls in clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing (-0.6 per cent) and other retailing (-0.1 per cent) in September 2016.

In seasonally adjusted terms, there were rises in New South Wales (0.8 per cent), Victoria (0.6 per cent), Queensland (0.5 per cent), Western Australia (0.5 per cent), South Australia (0.3 per cent), the Northern Territory (1.2 per cent), Tasmania (0.4 per cent) and the Australian Capital Territory (0.3 per cent).

The trend estimate for Australian retail turnover rose 0.2 per cent in September 2016 following a 0.3 per cent rise in August 2016. Compared to September 2015 the trend estimate rose 2.8 per cent.

Online retail turnover contributed 3.5 per cent to total retail turnover in original terms.

In seasonally adjusted volume terms, turnover fell 0.1 per cent in the September quarter 2016, following a rise of 0.3 per cent in the June quarter 2016. The main contributors to this fall were food retailing (-0.7 per cent) and department stores (-3.6 per cent).

More detailed industry analysis and further information on the statistical methodology is available in Retail Trade, Australia (cat no. 8501.0).

Media note:

• For a detailed definition of each industry group and subgroup in terms of its ANZSIC 2006 classes, please refer to paragraph 6 of the Explanatory Notes.
• Estimates of online retail turnover are only available in original terms and are not available in seasonally adjusted or trend terms.
• Along with the monthly current price estimates that reflect both price and volume changes, the March, June, September and December publications also present quarterly estimates that reflect volume and price changes separately.
• When reporting ABS data you must attribute the Australian Bureau of Statistics (or the ABS) as the source.
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