Food retailing led a rise in retail spending in June 2018, according to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics retail trade figures.
The retail turnover rose 0.4 per cent, which followed a 0.4 per cent rise in May 2018.
Director of quarterly economy wide surveys Ben James said at 0.4 per cent food retailing led the rises, followed by clothing, footwear and personal accessories.
There were also rises for cafes, restaurants, takeaways and household goods.
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Other retailing was relatively unchanged, while at -1.2 per cent, department stores fell in June 2018.
In seasonally adjusted terms, there were rises in Victoria – 1.1 per cent, New South Wales – 0.4 per cent, Western Australia – 0.2 per cent, the Australian Capital Territory – 1.2 per cent, and Tasmania – 0.9 per cent.
South Australia at 0.0 per cent was relatively unchanged in June.
There were falls in Queensland at -0.3 per cent, and the Northern Territory at -0.4 per cent.
For the June quarter 2018, there was a 1.2 per cent rise in seasonally adjusted volume terms.
This follows a rise of 0.2 per cent in the March quarter 2018.
The quarterly rise in volumes was led by food at 1.6 per cent, household goods at 1.4 per cent, and clothing, footwear and personal accessories at 2.0 per cent.
Online retail turnover contributed 5.7 per cent of total retail turnover in original terms in June 2018, a rise from 5.6 per cent in May 2018.
In June 2017 online retail turnover contributed 4.1 per cent to total retail.