Australia: Retail sales continue to grow in March
Retail sales increased 1.6% in month-on-month seasonally-adjusted terms in March, following February’s 1.8% increase.
The headline reading reflected expansions in department stores; clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing; cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services; household goods retailing; and food retailing and other retailing.
In annual terms, retail sales expanded 8.2% in March, following the 9.1% increase logged in February. Meanwhile, annual average growth in retail sales improved to 5.6% in March from 5.2% in February.