The latest ABS retail trade figures show that sales in December fell 0.7 per cent, seasonally adjusted, compared with a rise of 1.5 per cent the previous month.
Sales fell, in seasonally adjusted terms, across four retail industry groups: Department Stores (-3.5%), Clothing, Footwear & Other Personal Accessory Retailing (-1.9%), Food Retailing (-1.3%) and Household Goods Retailing (-0.3%). Sales rose in Cafes, Restaurants & Takeaway Food Services (2.5%). Other Retailing (0.0%) remained flat.
South Australia (-3.7%) recorded the largest fall in sales in December, followed by Tasmania (-2.0%) , Victoria (-1.0%), Queensland (-0.6%), the Northern Territory (-0.4%), the Australian Capital Territory (-0.4%) and Western Australia (-0.1%).
New South Wales was the only state to record growth in sales in December (0.1%).
Trend turnover for December 2009 rose by 0.3%.
In seasonally adjusted volume terms, retail turnover rose 1.1% in the December quarter 2009. This compares with a fall of 0.7% in the September quarter 2009.
In trend volume terms, retail turnover rose 1.3% for the December quarter 2009. This is the 5th consecutive quarter of positive trend volume growth.
Retailers generally blamed the Reserve Bank of Australia’s December rate rise for the disappointing Christmas sales figures, and predict that while January may show a slight increase owing to post-Christmas sales, retail trade will continue to struggle in the short- to medium term.