Retail Spending Steady Through February: Australia

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

This follows a rise of 0.3 per cent in January 2025 and a fall of 0.2 per cent in December 2024.

Robert Ewing, ABS head of business statistics, said: 'Retail spending in February remains steady, with mixed results across the industries.'

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.

'Like the January month, it was food-related spending which drove the rise in retail turnover this month,' Mr Ewing said.

Both food retailing (+0.6 per cent) and cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services (+0.2 per cent) rose for a second straight month.

Spending in the non-food industries was mixed. Other retailing (-1.0 per cent) fell having seen the largest rise in January (+2.4 per cent). Household goods retailing (-0.3 per cent) also dropped for a second straight month.

'Following promotion-based growth across the December quarter, spending on household goods continued to moderate with lower discretionary spending to begin the year,' Mr Ewing said.

This was partly offset by spending growth in department stores (+1.5 per cent) and clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing (+0.4 per cent).

Retail turnover was up in most states and territories, led by Western Australia (+0.8 per cent), which had its seventh straight monthly rise, and New South Wales (+0.5 per cent).

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