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    David Jones: Department store.
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Department stores reign supreme, according to the latest Australian retail trade figures.

Retail trade figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) have confirmed a slight rise in Australian retail turnover of 0.2 per cent in April 2014, seasonally adjusted, following a rise of 0.1 per cent in March 2014.

According to the figures, the largest contributor to the rise was department stores (2.9 per cent).

This was followed by food retailing (0.2 per cent), cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services (0.5 per cent) and clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing (0.2 per cent).

These rises were partially offset by falls in household goods retailing (-1.0 per cent) and other retailing (-0.2 per cent).

In current prices, however, the trend estimate for clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing fell 0.1 per cent in April 2014.

By industry subgroup, the trend estimate also dropped for clothing retailing (-0.2 per cent) and rose for footwear and other personal accessory retailing (0.1 per cent).

The seasonally adjusted estimate rose for clothing retailing (0.3 per cent) and fell for footwear and other personal accessory retailing (-0.1 per cent).

The following states and territories rose in trend terms in April 2014: New South Wales (0.7 per cent), Victoria (0.5 per cent), Queensland (0.2 per cent), Tasmania (0.3 per cent) and the Northern Territory (0.4 per cent). Western Australia (-0.2 per cent), the Australian Capital Territory (-0.7 per cent) and South Australia (-0.1 per cent) fell in trend terms in April 2014.

The state which was the largest contributor to the rise was Victoria (0.8 per cent), followed by New South Wales (0.1 per cent), Tasmania (0.4 per cent), the Northern Territory (0.5 per cent) and South Australia (0.1 per cent).

These rises were partially offset by falls in Queensland (-0.3 per cent), the Australian Capital Territory (-0.8 per cent) and Western Australia (-0.1 per cent).

The trend estimate for Australian retail turnover rose 0.4 per cent in April 2014. This follows a rise of 0.4 per cent in March 2014 and a rise of 0.5 per cent in February 2014.

Commenting on the ABS results, National Retailers Association CEO Trevor Evans said it was surprising to see such positive results for April given the month included two long weekends, which usually translate to less trade.

“The results for April are a welcome continuation of a modest growth trend we’ve seen uninterrupted in every month since this government took office, and it’s especially encouraging to see growth in a month which contained consecutive long weekends,” Evans said.

“Continued gains, while off a low base, is a good sign the Australian retail industry is recovering, but the momentum is still extremely fragile and completely dependent on consumer confidence.

“We already know May was more challenging than April so we’re expecting the see a short-term dint in retail trade when the ABS release those figures next month."

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