Turnover in clothing, footwear and accessories retailing rose 7.1% in July, according to new stats from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
Department stores also experienced an increase in July, rising 4% on a seasonally adjusted basis.
ABS director of quarterly economy wide surveys Ben James said that the reintroduction of COVID restrictions in Victoria significantly impacted the fashion and footwear category in that state.
"Retail sales in July 2020 were 12% above July 2019, with sales in household goods particularly strong, 29.4% above the same month last year.
"Turnover in clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing (7.1%) and cafes, restaurants, and takeaway food services (4.9%) rose across the country, with the exception of Victoria, where the reintroduction of Stage 3 stay-at-home restrictions in July partially offset these rises.
"As was the case in April, restrictions led to significant falls in these industries in Victoria," he said.
Overall, Australian retail turnover rose 3.2% in July, revised down 0.1% from the preliminary figure of 3.3%.
Online sales made up nearly 10% of total retail turnover in July, with eCommerce's contribution sitting at 9.8%, a slight rise from 9.7% in June.
In July last year, online retail turnover contributed 6.3% to total retail.
The majority of states across the country rose, with New South Wales leading the bunch at 5.9%, while its southern counterpart Victoria saw a 2.1% decline in July.