FX.co ★ Australia Retail Sales Grows for 3rd Month

In March 2025, Australia's retail sales experienced a 0.3% increase from the previous month, building on February's 0.2% rise, although falling slightly below market forecasts of a 0.4% uptick. This represents the third consecutive month of retail growth. Various sectors saw growth, with food retailing advancing by 0.7% compared to 0.6% in February, 'other retailing' climbing 0.7% after a previous dip of 0.9%, and the category of clothing, footwear, and personal accessories increasing by 0.3% compared to 0.5%. The household goods sector remained unchanged following a 0.3% decrease in the prior month. Conversely, sales in cafes, restaurants, and takeaway food services fell by 0.5% compared to a rise of 0.2%, and sales in department stores decreased by 0.5% following a significant 1.5% rise. Regionally, sales increased in New South Wales by 0.5%, Victoria by 0.6%, South Australia by 0.2%, Western Australia by 0.3%, Tasmania by 0.5%, the Northern Territory by 0.7%, and the Australian Capital Territory by 0.1%. In contrast, Queensland experienced a sales drop of 0.4%.