AUS
NZ
UK
CA
USA
IND
Highlights
- Retail sales in Australia dropped 0.1% in April 2025
- Clothing and department store segments saw the biggest declines
- Queensland retail rose, helped by post-cyclone recovery
Retail turnover in Australia slipped by 0.1% in April 2025, underperforming economists’ expectations of a 0.3% rise, according to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). This softening comes on the back of modest gains in previous months, with retail spending having risen 0.3% in March and 0.2% in February.
The slowdown was largely driven by significant drops in clothing, footwear, and personal accessory retailing, which fell by 2.5%. Department stores matched this decline, also registering a 2.5% decrease. This comes as consumers appeared hesitant to refresh their wardrobes amid warmer-than-usual autumn temperatures, choosing to delay seasonal purchases.
In contrast, some sectors showed resilience. Household goods retailing grew by 0.6%, and miscellaneous retailing climbed 0.7%. The standout performer for the month was the café, restaurant, and takeaway segment, which saw a 1.1% lift. This was primarily driven by increased dining activity in Queensland, where businesses rebounded after disruptions caused by ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred in March.
Food retailing, however, dipped slightly by 0.3%, showing that the shift toward eating out might have pulled spending away from grocery purchases.
On a state level, Queensland led the charge with a 1.4% rise in turnover, followed by Western Australia with a 0.4% increase. Other states and territories saw declines, reversing their March growth trends.
This mixed performance highlights the uneven landscape for consumer-facing businesses in the ASX200 index. Companies like Wesfarmers (ASX:WES), which operates prominent retail brands including Kmart and Target, may be closely watching these consumer trends. Likewise, JB Hi-Fi (ASX:JBH) and Harvey Norman (ASX:HVN), which are active in the household goods space, might find the positive performance in that sector encouraging.
As investors seek stability in the current environment, many may turn to ASX dividend stocks, especially those within consumer staples and household sectors that tend to exhibit steadier performance during uncertain economic periods.
This snapshot of April's retail figures provides a valuable lens into evolving consumer behavior and regional dynamics, painting a nuanced picture of the broader ASX200 index landscape heading into mid-year.
