The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) said preliminary retail sales for April lifted 1.1% from March, while spending in retail stores and online lifted 25.1% on the same month in 2020, reflecting COVID-19 restrictions in April 2020, which brought a large fall in retail turnover. Turnover in food retail rose 1.5% in April after falling in February and March. Across the states, retail turnover lifted 2% in all industries other than department stores in NSW and Victoria.

Australian Retailers Association (ARA) CEO Paul Zahra called the latest data ‘pleasing’ but said recovery was uneven across retail. Zahra said data from ARA partner Mastercard shows food retail sales are down 10.3% YOY, reflecting supermarkets and grocery stores cycling the elevated levels of pantry-filling and a higher portion of home meals being consumed last year. However, spending in other categories was up YOY with spending on household goods up 6.9% YOY and clothing sales jumping 178.5% YOY.