Media release – Australian Bureau of Statistics, 5 February 2021
Retail sales volumes rise 2.5% in December quarter
Retail sales volumes rose 2.5 per cent in the December quarter 2020, seasonally adjusted, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Retail Trade figures. This follows the 6.5 per cent rise in the September quarter 2020.
Ben James, Director of Quarterly Economy Wide Surveys, said “The quarterly rise was driven by Victoria (12.8 per cent), as volumes recovered following COVID-19 restrictions from August to October. Without the Victorian rise, seasonally adjusted volumes would have fallen in the December quarter 2020.”
At a national level, clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing (18.1 per cent), and cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services (10.4 per cent), led the rises in seasonally adjusted volume terms. Department stores (12.0 per cent), and other retailing (2.7 per cent) also rose.
Food retailing (-2.6 per cent), and household goods retailing (-0.6 per cent), recorded quarter-on-quarter falls in seasonally adjusted volume terms.
Monthly turnover fell 4.1 per cent
Australian retail turnover fell 4.1 per cent in December 2020, seasonally adjusted.
This updates the Preliminary result of -4.2 per cent, and follows a rise of 7.1 per cent in November.
Mr James said: “Victoria (-6.8 per cent) led falls at the state and territory level following stronger trade in November as COVID-19 restrictions eased. New South Wales (-4.9 per cent) also fell as the Northern Beaches cluster impacted spending in the lead-up to Christmas.”
Queensland (-1.8 per cent), Western Australia (-2.0 per cent), Tasmania (-4.6 per cent), South Australia (-0.7 per cent), and the Australian Capital Territory (-1.6 per cent) also fell.
Despite the falls, in annual terms retail turnover remains at elevated levels, 9.6 per cent above the levels of December 2019.
Following the large rise in November, five of the six industries fell in December, led by household goods retailing (-8.3 per cent). Clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing (-9.4 per cent), department stores (-12.5 per cent), food retailing (-1.7 per cent), and other retailing (-4.4 per cent) also fell in December. Cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services (3.2 per cent) was the only industry to rise in December.
Online sales made up 9.1 per cent of total retail sales in December 2020. Online contributed 6.6 per cent in December 2019.
The trend series has been suspended from February 2020 due to COVID-19 and associated changes that will impact the original and seasonally adjusted series.
More detailed industry analysis and further information on the statistical methodology is available in Retail Trade, Australia (cat no. 8501.0).
The next release will be the Preliminary result for the January month. Data will be released on 19 February 2020.
Media release – David O’Byrne MP, Shadow Treasurer, 5 February 2021
No Christmas boost for Tassie retailers
Retail figures for December show Tasmanian businesses have missed out on the usual Christmas bounce.
The pandemic is continuing to weigh heavily on confidence and unfortunately Tasmanian consumers – businesses and households – are clearly feeling the pinch.
Shadow Labor Treasurer David O’Byrne said Tasmanians are feeling a deep sense of insecurity especially anticipating JobKeeper and JobSeeker coming to an end early this year.
“For many businesses, households and individuals this means a lifeline that’s helped keep them afloat through 2020 is going to be cut,” Mr O’Byrne said.
“When you drill down into these latest figures it’s clear this is hurting consumer confidence and spending.
“Tasmania suffered the biggest fall in retail activity in the country in the last three months of 2020.
“It has also recorded the second lowest growth in the country compared with December 2019.
“Labor is concerned that a number of businesses, particularly those impacted by COVID restrictions in Tasmania and across other states, will not be able to survive the withdrawal of JobKeeper.
“The Premier and Treasurer Peter Gutwein should be fighting their corner much harder with the Morrison Government.
“The Gutwein Government continues to crow about its performance, painting a rosy economic picture, but unfortunately this ignores the many difficulties families and business are facing, and they know the situation is set to get worse during 2021.”
