Retail Sales Surge In June: Australia

Australian retail turnover rose 1.2 per cent in June 2025, according to seasonally adjusted figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

This follows a rise of 0.5 per cent in May after a flat April 2025.

As previously announced, today's release is the final publication of Retail Trade, Australia.

Australian Statistician Dr David Gruen AO said: 'Today's final publication comes 74 years after Sir Roland Wilson, Chief Statistician at the time, released the results of the first Retail Trade survey in 1951. Sir Roland noted that total Australian retail sales in the September quarter 1950 amounted to £383.2 million - around $20.5 billion in today's dollars.

'The ABS would like to thank the many businesses that have contributed over the 74 years of the Retail Business Survey.

'After today's publication, monthly statistics on household spending will be available in the ABS' Monthly Household Spending Indicator (MHSI), providing a more comprehensive view of consumption, across both goods and services.'

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.

Robert Ewing, ABS head of business statistics, said: 'The strong June month rise in retail turnover was driven by discounts linked to sales and new product releases.

'After steady growth throughout the year, mid-year sales events increased spending on discretionary items like furniture, electrical goods and clothing items.'

Non-food related spending drove most of the rise in retail turnover. There were increases in all industries, led by household goods retailing (+2.3 per cent) and other retailing (+1.9 per cent).

'Consumers are targeting sales events with a focus on value for big ticket items like household furniture, bedding, electronic devices and TVs,' Mr Ewing said.

'Turnover for electrical and gaming retailers was lifted further by the much-anticipated launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, which delivered record sales.'

There were also rises in department stores (+1.9 per cent) and clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing (+1.5 per cent), boosted by end-of-financial year sales and sales of winter clothing.

Food-related spending rose after a fall last month. While food retailing (+0.9 per cent) bounced back, spending in cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services fell 0.4 per cent.

Retail turnover rose in all states and territories, with the Eastern-mainland states seeing the largest rises.

Today's release also includes quarterly retail sales volumes, which rose 0.3 per cent (seasonally adjusted) in June quarter 2025.

This comes after three straight quarters of volumes growth in March quarter 2025 (+0.1 per cent), December quarter 2024 (+0.8 per cent) and September quarter 2024 (+0.3 per cent).

'Retail sales volumes rose modestly this quarter driven by a strong June month, with turnover boosted mostly by end-of-financial year sales,' Mr Ewing said.

Consumers increased their discretionary spending in household goods retailing (+1.8 per cent) and other retailing (+1.2 per cent) by seeking out and taking advantage of discounts.

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.

Retail volumes on a per capita basis fell 0.1 per cent, following a fall of 0.4 per cent last quarter.

'The per capita fall shows that despite the rise in volumes, consumer spending remains restrained, outstripped by population growth,' Mr Ewing said.

Retail prices rose 0.6 per cent this quarter, easing slightly from 0.7 per cent in the March quarter 2025, based on data from the latest Consumer Price Index.