Australia Retail Turnover Rises 1.2% in June 2025

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Retail turnover in Australia climbed by 1.2% in June 2025, according to the latest seasonally adjusted figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The increase follows a 0.5% rise in May and a flat result in April, indicating a renewed boost in consumer spending activity.

Robert Ewing, head of business statistics at the ABS, said the June increase was largely driven by seasonal discount events and new product launches, which spurred buying activity across non-essential goods.

“Consumers are targeting sales events with a focus on value for big ticket items like household furniture, bedding, electronic devices, and TVs,” Ewing stated. He also pointed to the release of the Nintendo Switch 2, which contributed to record sales in the electronics and gaming segment.

Key contributors to the growth in turnover were household goods retailing, which rose 2.3%, and other retailing, which saw a 1.9% gain. Department stores and clothing, footwear, and personal accessory retailers also reported notable improvements, benefiting from end-of-financial-year sales and increased demand for winter apparel.

While food-related spending rose by 0.9%, the hospitality sector recorded a slight downturn, with cafés, restaurants, and takeaway food services seeing a 0.4% decline.

In volume terms, retail sales grew 0.3% over the June quarter, extending a trend of modest quarterly volume increases. However, when adjusted per capita, retail volumes fell by 0.1%, indicating a degree of consumer caution remains.

Retail prices rose by 0.6% for the quarter, down slightly from the 0.7% increase recorded in March 2025. This suggests some easing in retail price inflation, though household budgets remain under pressure.

The ABS also noted that this marks the final release of the long-running Retail Trade Australia publication, concluding a series that has spanned over seven decades.

Australian Statistician Dr David Gruen remarked on the significance of the milestone, stating: “Final publication comes 74 years after Sir Roland Wilson, chief statistician at the time, released the results of the first retail trade survey in 1951. Sir Roland noted that total Australian retail sales in the September quarter of 1950 amounted to £383.2 million – around $20.5 billion in today’s dollars.”

The Retail Trade Australia series has long served as a benchmark for understanding economic shifts in Australian consumer behaviour. Its conclusion signals a change in how retail data will be reported going forward.