February 4, 2010
09/2010
ABS retail sales down 0.7% in December 2009
The latest ABS retail trade figures show that sales in December fell 0.7%, seasonally adjusted,
compared with a rise of 1.5% the previous month.
Sales fell, in seasonally adjusted terms, across four retail industry groups: Department Stores (-
3.5%), Clothing, Footwear & Other Personal Accessory Retailing (-1.9%), Food Retailing (-1.3%)
and Household Goods Retailing (-0.3%). Sales rose in Cafes, Restaurants & Takeaway Food
Services (2.5%). Other Retailing (0.0%) remained flat.
South Australia (-3.7%) recorded the largest fall in sales in December, followed by Tasmania (-
2.0%) , Victoria (-1.0%), Queensland (-0.6%), the Northern Territory (-0.4%), the Australian Capital
Territory (-0.4%) and Western Australia (-0.1%).
New South Wales was the only state to record growth in sales in December (0.1%).
Trend turnover for December 2009 rose by 0.3%.
In seasonally adjusted volume terms, retail turnover rose 1.1% in the December quarter 2009. This
compares with a fall of 0.7% in the September quarter 2009.
In trend volume terms, retail turnover rose 1.3% for the December quarter 2009. This is the 5th
consecutive quarter of positive trend volume growth.
Further information is available in Retail Trade, Australia (cat no. 8501.0) on the ABS website at
Media Note: Please ensure when reporting on ABS data that you attribute the Australian Bureau
of Statistics (or the ABS) as the source.
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