For month of April.
Australian retail turnover fell by 0.1% for April, seasonally adjusted, according to the latest figures from the ABS, following a 0.3% rise in March.
National Retail Association (NRA) CEO Dominique Lamb has called on both the Federal Government and Opposition to cooperate in implementing personal and business tax cuts.
“These ABS figures for April paint a sombre picture and demonstrate the need to boost Australians’ disposable incomes. The Government went to the election promising tax cuts and has a mandate. The plunge in retail sales shows the urgent need to put more money in the back pocket of all Australians.
“Retailers want to see both sides of politics put their squabbling to one side and to work together to deliver tax cuts that will benefit both households and businesses.”
Household goods fell by 0.9%, while department stores saw an increased turnover of 1.8%.
“There were certainly mixed results across the board both in individual categories and in how each state and territory performed,” Lamb said.
“Having said all that, now that the federal election is out of the way we are optimistic about a return to certainty and with that a much-needed boost to consumer confidence.”
Australian Retailers’ Association (ARA) executive director, Russell Zimmerman said the trade figures were disappointing overall for April, coming off year-on-year growth for March.
“With the federal election now behind us, we hope to see retail trade figures rebound strongly, as any effect from the election period washes out of the numbers.”