Australia Retail Sales Post Biggest Rise in 3 Years

Retail sales in Australia rose 1.2% month-on-month in June 2025, accelerating from a revised 0.5% increase in May and well above market expectations of a 0.4% gain. This marked the strongest monthly growth since March 2022, driven by a rebound in food sales (0.9% vs -0.1% in May) and stronger gains in household goods (2.3% vs 0.6%) and other retailing (1.9% vs 0.1%). Meanwhile, growth slowed for clothing, footwear, and personal accessories (1.5% vs 3.5%) and department stores (1.9% vs 2.9%), while sales declined for cafes, restaurants, and takeaway food services (-0.4% vs 0.1%). Regionally, retail trade rose across all states, namely New South Wales (1.6%), Victoria (1.2%), Queensland (1.2%), South Australia (0.7%), Western Australia (0.3%), Tasmania (0.4%), Northern Territory (0.8%), and the Australian Capital Territory (1.6%). On an annual basis, retail sales jumped 4.9%—the highest since March 2023—picking up from a 3.5% increase in May.