MEDIA RELEASE
3 September 2012	Embargoed: 11.30 am (Canberra time)	133/2012

The latest ABS Retail Trade figures show that Australian retail turnover fell 0.8% in July 2012, seasonally adjusted, following a rise of 1.2% in June 2012.

The largest contributor to the fall was department stores (-10.2%), followed by other retailing (-2.8%) and clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing (-0.9%). These falls were partially offset by rises in household goods retailing (2.4%), cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services (0.3%) and food retailing (0.1%).

The large fall in department stores follows a strong rise in the previous month. However, department stores remains the weakest performing industry over the longer term (down 0.5% in trend terms). The strongest performing industry over the longer term is cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services (up 0.8% in trend terms).

Turnover fell in all states in July 2012. The largest contributor to the fall was New South Wales (-0.8%) which recorded its first fall since February 2012. Turnover also fell in Queensland (-1.1%), Victoria (-0.4%), Western Australia (-0.6%), South Australia (-0.7%), the Northern Territory (-2.6%), Tasmania (-1.4%) and the Australian Capital Territory (-0.2%). Over the longer term, Western Australia remains the strongest performing state (up 0.5% in trend terms).

The trend estimate for Australian retail turnover rose 0.4% in July 2012. This follows a rise of 0.4% in June 2012 and a rise of 0.5% in May 2012.

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

Media note:

• Please ensure when reporting on ABS data that you attribute the Australian Bureau of Statistics (or the ABS) as the source.
• 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.