Australian retail sales volumes rose 0.2% in the September quarter of 2023, Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data revealed.
ABS head of retail statistics Ben Dorber said the small rise in retail sales volumes follows three quarterly falls in a row. Retail volumes fell by 0.6% in the June quarter, 0.7% in the March quarter, and 0.6% in the December quarter of 2022.
Dorber said the rise in the recent quarter was driven by lower price growth for retail goods, unusually warm weather, and special events such as the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
It was led by department stores at 1.5% growth, household goods (0.8%) and clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing (0.5%).
“These industries benefitted from drier and warmer-than-usual weather throughout the quarter,” Dorber said. “Combined with continued and frequent discounting activity, sales were higher, particularly for hardware and gardening items, and clothing.”
Despite the rise, retail sales volumes are down 1.7% compared to the September quarter last year.
“Volumes are lower despite a period of strong population growth,” Dorber said. “On a per capita basis, retail volumes are down 4.0% compared to this time last year, the largest 12-month fall in the history of the series.”
Retail prices rose 0.7%, based on data from the Consumer Price Index, down from 1.1% in the June quarter.
“Compared to the same time last year, retail prices remain high, up 3.7%, but are down considerably from the peak price growth of 7.6% in December quarter 2022,” Dorber said.
Other retailing was the only non-food industry to record a fall in the September quarter at negative 0.4%. This was the fourth quarterly fall in a row as volumes continue to moderate from the highs seen through the COVID-19 pandemic period.