Trade figures

Australia’s peak retail body, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA), welcomes the next stage of Victoria’s single-use plastics phase out, which takes effect 1 Feb 2023.

From next month, the sale and supply of single-use plastic drinking straws, cutlery, plates, drink-stirrers will be banned. Polystyrene food service items, drink containers and cotton bud sticks will also be prohibited.

ARA CEO Paul Zahra said that while national consistency of regulation and timetabling remains the preferred approach for the retail sector, the Victorian Government is making positive steps in addressing plastic pollution.

Retail sales have marked 15 consecutive months of growth, with a record $35.9 billion spent in stores and online in November 2022 – an increase of 7.7% on the same time the previous year – according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).  
As consumers across the country regained their sought-after freedoms, there were strong year-on-year sales increases for cafés, restaurants and take away food (up 24.8%) with department stores (up 7.6%) and clothing, footwear and personal accessories (up 7.1%) also recording strong growth. 

The Black Friday sales are set to provide retailers with strong results in the lead up to Christmas with research from the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) in collaboration with Roy Morgan forecasting sales to reach a record $6.2 billion over the four-day Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend (Friday 25 November to Monday 28 November 2022).  

Australian retail sales have set a new record for the third straight month with $34.2 billion spent in stores and online in May – a 10.4% increase on a year