INDUSTRY TRENDS


MONTHLY SEASONALLY ADJUSTED AND TREND ESTIMATES


TOTAL RETAIL

There has been moderate trend growth for 19 months. Food retailing has had three months of moderate growth following four months of strong growth. Clothing and soft good retailing and Hospitality and services have had six months of moderate growth. In June 2007, all the other industries had weak trend growth, were flat or in decline.

FOOD RETAILING

There has been moderate trend growth for three months following four months of strong growth. Queensland and Western Australia have had moderate trend growth in June 2007 following long periods of strong growth. New South Wales and Victoria both had weak trend growth in June. Tasmania (seven months) and the Australian Capital Territory (six months) have had strong growth.

DEPARTMENT STORES

The trend was flat in June 2007 following three months of weak trend growth. New South Wales and Western Australia have followed the same pattern. Queensland had moderate trend growth in June following three months of weak growth, while the other states had weak growth or were in decline.

CLOTHING AND SOFT GOOD RETAILING

There has been six months of moderate trend growth. New South Wales (four months), Victoria (two months) and the Australian Capital Territory (one month) have had moderate trend growth, while Queensland (four months) and the Northern Territory (two months) have had strong growth.

HOUSEHOLD GOOD RETAILING

Trend growth has been slowing since December 2006 with weak growth in June 2007. New South Wales has also had a slowing trend and was in decline in June. Victoria has had ten months of moderate trend growth, while Queensland had moderate growth in May and June following 12 months of strong growth. South Australia and Tasmania have had five months of strong growth.

RECREATIONAL GOOD RETAILING

The trend has been in decline for five months. New South Wales (six months), Victoria (four months), South Australia (13 months) and Western Australia (six months) have been in decline. The Australian Capital Territory was flat in June 2007, while the other states had strong trend growth.

OTHER RETAILING

The trend for Other retailing has been in decline for ten months. Victoria (12 months), South Australia (four months) and the Australian Capital Territory (three months) have been in decline. New South Wales has had weak trend growth for five months, while Queensland has had three months of moderate growth. Western Australia was flat in June 2007.

TOTAL RETAIL (EXCLUDING HOSPITALITY AND SERVICES)

Over the last seven months, the trend growth for Total retail (excluding Hospitality and services) has mostly been slightly stronger than Total industries (including Hospitality and services). In June 2007, the trend growth for Total Retail was weak compared to moderate growth for Total industries.

HOSPITALITY AND SERVICES

There has been moderate trend growth for six months. Queensland (five months), South Australia (five months) and Tasmania (three months) have had strong growth, while New South Wales and Victoria have been in decline for two and six months respectively.