Retail sales rose 0.1% in May

Australian retail turnover rose 0.1 per cent in May 2021, seasonally adjusted, according to preliminary retail trade figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Ben James, Director of Quarterly Economy Wide Surveys, said: "There were mixed results across the industries and states and territories, with COVID-19 restrictions in Victoria impacting the May result. Victoria fell 1.5 per cent as the state entered its fourth lockdown on May 28 with trade restricted for physical stores."

Victoria saw falls across all industries except for food retailing, where spending increased in the lead up to the lockdown in the last week of May.

The falls in Victoria were offset by rises in Queensland (1.5 per cent) and Western Australia (1.5 per cent).

Nationally, at an industry level, food retailing led the rises, offset by falls in household goods retailing, and clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing. 

Further information is available in Retail Trade, Australia, Preliminary (cat. no. 8501.0.55.008) and full results will be available in Retail Trade, Australia (8501.0), released 5 July 2021.

The final release of Retail Trade, Australia, Preliminary (cat. no. 8501.0.55.008) will be for the June 2021 reference month. This will be released 21 July 2021.

The ABS thanks all those who contributed data to this release. Further ABS data measuring the impact of COVID-19 on Australia can be found on the ABS website.