Retail Trade, Australia

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

Reference period
September 2024
Released
31/10/2024

Key statistics

The September 2024 seasonally adjusted estimate: 

  • Rose 0.1% month-on-month.
  • Rose 2.3% compared with September 2023.
  • In volume terms, the seasonally adjusted estimate rose 0.5% in the September quarter 2024.

Turnover at current prices

Turnover at current prices
Sep-2024 ($m)Aug-2024 to Sep-2024 (% change)Sep-2023 to Sep-2024 (% change)
Trend36,481.10.32.6
Seasonally adjusted36,458.40.12.3

Turnover in volume terms

Turnover in volume terms
September Qtr 2024 ($m)June Qtr 2024 to September Qtr 2024 (% change)September Qtr 2023 to September Qtr 2024 (% change)
Trend104,327.3-0.1-0.2
Seasonally adjusted104,589.30.50.2

Total retail turnover

Monthly turnover, current prices - seasonally adjusted estimate

Monthly turnover, current prices - seasonally adjusted estimate

Combination chart with 2 data series.
The chart has 1 X axis displaying Month.
The chart has 1 Y axis displaying %. Data ranges from -17.1 to 24.8.
End of interactive chart.

Total retail turnover - level, current prices

Total retail turnover - level, current prices

Line chart with 2 lines.
The chart has 1 X axis displaying Month.
The chart has 1 Y axis displaying $m. Data ranges from 24803.6 to 36481.1.
End of interactive chart.

Trend estimates from March 2020 to June 2022 are not available due to the degree of disruption and volatility caused by COVID-19. Trend estimates throughout the pandemic period are likely to be unhelpful and potentially misleading for users in interpreting underlying trend in retail activity.

Monthly turnover, current prices, by industry - percentage change from previous month

Monthly turnover, current prices, by industry - percentage change from previous month

Bar chart with 7 bars.
The chart has 1 X axis displaying Industry.
The chart has 1 Y axis displaying %. Data ranges from -0.5 to 0.5.
End of interactive chart.

Monthly turnover, current prices, by state and territory - percentage change from previous month

Monthly turnover, current prices, by state and territory - percentage change from previous month

Bar chart with 9 bars.
The chart has 1 X axis displaying State.
The chart has 1 Y axis displaying %. Data ranges from -0.7 to 0.2.
End of interactive chart.

Analysis by industry

Food retailing

Food retailing fell 0.1% (-$18.3m) in September, in seasonally adjusted terms.

By industry subgroup, the seasonally adjusted estimate:

  • fell 3.8% (-$57.5m) for Liquor retailing.
  • rose 0.6% ($6.0m) for Other specialised food retailing.
  • rose 0.3% ($33.1m) for Supermarket and grocery stores.

Food retailing

Food retailing

Line chart with 2 lines.
The chart has 1 X axis displaying Month.
The chart has 1 Y axis displaying $m. Data ranges from 11289.9 to 14512.8.
End of interactive chart.

Trend estimates from March 2020 to June 2022 are not available due to the degree of disruption and volatility caused by COVID-19. Trend estimates throughout the pandemic period are likely to be unhelpful and potentially misleading for users in interpreting underlying trend in retail activity.

Household goods retailing

Household goods retailing rose 0.5% ($29.5m) in September, in seasonally adjusted terms.

By industry subgroup, the seasonally adjusted estimate:

  • rose 1.0% ($22.0m) for Hardware, building and garden supplies retailing.
  • rose 0.7% ($13.8m) for Electrical and electronic goods retailing.
  • fell 0.4% (-$6.3m) for Furniture, floor coverings, houseware and textile goods retailing.

Household goods retailing

Household goods retailing

Line chart with 2 lines.
The chart has 1 X axis displaying Month.
The chart has 1 Y axis displaying $m. Data ranges from 4619.4 to 6267.4.
End of interactive chart.

Trend estimates from March 2020 to June 2022 are not available due to the degree of disruption and volatility caused by COVID-19. Trend estimates throughout the pandemic period are likely to be unhelpful and potentially misleading for users in interpreting underlying trend in retail activity.

Clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing

Clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing fell 0.1% (-$3.5m) in September, in seasonally adjusted terms.

By industry subgroup, the seasonally adjusted estimate:

  • fell 0.3% (-$6.6m) for Clothing retailing.
  • rose 0.3% ($3.1m) for Footwear and other personal accessory retailing.

Clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing

Clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing

Line chart with 2 lines.
The chart has 1 X axis displaying Month.
The chart has 1 Y axis displaying $m. Data ranges from 752.4 to 3086.5.
End of interactive chart.

Trend estimates from March 2020 to June 2022 are not available due to the degree of disruption and volatility caused by COVID-19. Trend estimates throughout the pandemic period are likely to be unhelpful and potentially misleading for users in interpreting underlying trend in retail activity.

Department stores

Department stores fell 0.5% (-$8.9m) in September, in seasonally adjusted terms.

Department stores

Department stores

Line chart with 2 lines.
The chart has 1 X axis displaying Month.
The chart has 1 Y axis displaying $m. Data ranges from 1219.7 to 1976.3.
End of interactive chart.

Trend estimates from March 2020 to June 2022 are not available due to the degree of disruption and volatility caused by COVID-19. Trend estimates throughout the pandemic period are likely to be unhelpful and potentially misleading for users in interpreting underlying trend in retail activity.

Other retailing

Other retailing was relatively unchanged 0.0% (-$2.1m) in September, in seasonally adjusted terms.

By industry subgroup, the seasonally adjusted estimate:

  • fell 0.3% (-$7.9m) for Other retailing n.e.c..
  • fell 1.2% (-$7.9m) for Other recreational goods retailing.
  • fell 0.8% (-$1.4m) for Newspaper and book retailing.
  • rose 0.6% ($15.1m) for Pharmaceutical, cosmetic and toiletry goods retailing.

Other retailing

Other retailing

Line chart with 2 lines.
The chart has 1 X axis displaying Month.
The chart has 1 Y axis displaying $m. Data ranges from 3943.9 to 5751.1.
End of interactive chart.

Trend estimates from March 2020 to June 2022 are not available due to the degree of disruption and volatility caused by COVID-19. Trend estimates throughout the pandemic period are likely to be unhelpful and potentially misleading for users in interpreting underlying trend in retail activity.

Cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services

Cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services rose 0.4% ($22.7m) in September, in seasonally adjusted terms.

By industry subgroup, the seasonally adjusted estimate:

  • rose 0.6% ($13.0m) for Takeaway food services.
  • rose 0.3% ($9.7m) for Cafes, restaurants and catering services.

Cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services

Cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services

Line chart with 2 lines.
The chart has 1 X axis displaying Month.
The chart has 1 Y axis displaying $m. Data ranges from 1951.5 to 5457.1.
End of interactive chart.

Trend estimates from March 2020 to June 2022 are not available due to the degree of disruption and volatility caused by COVID-19. Trend estimates throughout the pandemic period are likely to be unhelpful and potentially misleading for users in interpreting underlying trend in retail activity.

Online retailing

Total online retailing sales were $4,061.4m in September 2024, in seasonally adjusted terms. Seasonally adjusted online sales fell 1.3% (-$52.9m), following a fall of 1.6% (-$65.8m) in August 2024. Seasonally adjusted through-the-year sales are up 8.9% ($333.1m). 

Original online sales fell 1.7% (-$71.3m) in September 2024 compared to a flat result (-$0.4m) at the same time last year.

Total online, original and seasonally adjusted

Total online, original and seasonally adjusted

Line chart with 2 lines.
The chart has 1 X axis displaying .
The chart has 1 Y axis displaying $m. Data ranges from 1675.8 to 4924.
End of interactive chart.

In September 2024, food online sales were $1,213.1m and non-food online sales were $2,848.2m, in seasonally adjusted terms. Food sales fell 0.6% (-$7.0m) whilst non-food fell 1.6% (-$46.0m), seasonally adjusted.

Online sales, Food and Non-Food, seasonally adjusted

Online sales, Food and Non-Food, seasonally adjusted

Line chart with 2 lines.
The chart has 1 X axis displaying .
The chart has 1 Y axis displaying $m. Data ranges from 482.6 to 3254.7.
End of interactive chart.

In original terms, the proportion of online food retailing sales to total food retailing fell from 6.4% to 6.3%. The proportion for online non-food retailing sales to total non-food retailing remain unchanged at 17.8%. 

In original terms, the proportion of online sales to total retailing remained unchanged at 11.4%. The proportion of online sales to total retailing was 10.5% at the same time last year.

Proportion of industry group turnover online, original

Proportion of industry group turnover online, original

Line chart with 3 lines.
The chart has 1 X axis displaying .
The chart has 1 Y axis displaying %. Data ranges from 2.8 to 25.5.
End of interactive chart.

Additional notes regarding the online sales series can be found in the Methodology.

Quarterly retail turnover

Quarterly turnover, in volume terms - seasonally adjusted estimate

Quarterly turnover, in volume terms - seasonally adjusted estimate

Combination chart with 2 data series.
The chart has 1 X axis displaying Quarter.
The chart has 1 Y axis displaying %. Data ranges from -3.9 to 9.8.
End of interactive chart.

Per capita retail volumes

Retail volumes on a per capita basis fell for the 9th straight quarter, down 0.1% (-$4.3) with retail spending on a per person basis down 1.9% (-$74.0) compared to this time last year.

Retail volumes per capita are down to its lowest level since the September quarter 2021 having peaked in the June quarter 2022. Retail volumes per capita are down 6.3% (-$257.3) since the June quarter 2022 peak.

Despite the nine consecutive quarterly falls, retail volumes per capita are up 2.6% ($96.8) compared to the December quarter 2019, the last quarter prior to the pandemic-period.

Retail turnover per capita, in volume terms - level

Retail turnover per capita, in volume terms - level

Line chart with 2 lines.
The chart has 1 X axis displaying Quarter.
The chart has 1 Y axis displaying $. Data ranges from 3595.3 to 4074.7.
End of interactive chart.

Trend estimates from March 2020 to June 2022 are not available due to the degree of disruption and volatility caused by COVID-19. Trend estimates throughout the pandemic period are likely to be unhelpful and potentially misleading for users in interpreting underlying trend in retail activity.

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Retail Trade  - Monthly and quarterly retail trade turnover estimates for Australian businesses classified by industry group, sub group, and by state and territory.

Survey impacts and changes

Previous catalogue number

This release previously used catalogue number 8501.0.

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Methodology

Scope

This publication presents estimates of the value of turnover of retail trade for Australian businesses. This includes all employing retail trade businesses who predominantly sell to households.

Geography

Data is available for:

  • Australia Total
  • States and territories.

Source

Retail Business Survey

Collection method

The survey includes about 700 large businesses and 2,700 smaller businesses selected by random sample.

The survey is conducted monthly primarily by telephone interview. A small number of questionnaires are mailed.

Concepts, sources and methods

Turnover includes:

  • retail sales
  • online sales
  • wholesale sales
  • takings from repairs, meals & hiring of goods
  • commissions from agency activity

Businesses are classified in terms of the retail industry group and subgroup it mainly operates in.

History of changes

GST was included in turnover from 2000.

View full methodology