Retail Sales Rise Slightly In May: Australia

Australian retail turnover rose 0.2 per cent in May 2025, according to seasonally adjusted figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

This follows a flat result last month and growth of 0.2 per cent in March 2025.

Robert Ewing, ABS head of business statistics, said: 'Retail spending rose in May driven mainly by a bounce-back in clothing purchases.'

'Retail spending was otherwise restrained this month, with a drop in food-related spending and flat results across household goods.'

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.

Non-food related spending drove the rise in retail turnover this month.

Clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing (+2.9 per cent) and department stores (+2.6 per cent) were the only industries to see rises, both bouncing back from large falls in April.

'Clothing retailers and department stores were boosted by people buying winter clothes, having held off on those purchases with the warmer-than-usual weather last month,' Mr Ewing said.

Other retailing had a fall (-0.2 per cent), while household goods retailing remained unchanged (0.0 per cent).

Food-related spending fell for the first time this year. Food retailing (-0.4 per cent) drove the fall, while spending in cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services was flat (0.0 per cent).

Retail turnover rose in most states and territories, with Western Australia (+0.7 per cent) seeing the largest rise.

'The growth in retail turnover in Western Australia continued with spending up for a seventh straight month,' Mr Ewing said.

'Spending across the rest of the country was subdued.'

Tasmania (-0.1 per cent) had the only fall, while Northern Territory was flat.

As previously announced, the Retail Business Survey and Retail Trade Publication will end following the June 2025 release.

'Today's release is the second last for Retail Trade,' Mr Ewing said.

'The final Retail Trade publication on 31 July 2025 will include monthly estimates and quarterly volumes for June 2025.'

'Monthly statistics on household spending has transitioned to the ABS's Monthly Household Spending Indicator (MHSI), an administrative data collection that provides a more comprehensive read of household consumption, including retail spending, while also reducing the reporting burden on businesses.'

The ABS would like to thank businesses for their continued support in responding to our surveys.