According to an NAB online sales index report, online retail has lost a bit of it’s shine in May as many bricks and mortar stores open as Australian’s are feeling more comfortable about the Coronavirus state and governments ease lockdowns. Online retail fell a modest 1 percent in May after recording a significant rise in March and April.
Overall, retail sales rose by 16.9 percent compared to April to $28.9 billion which nearly makes up for the 17.7 per cent drop in sales that happened in April. Most retailers reported a strong return of customers to their stores with many feeling like it was closer to normal numbers. Stores like Esther and Co continued to do well with strong online sales. Use an Esther & Co promo code to save on your purchase. Online sales makes up 10 per cent of overall retail sales which is one percent lower than April’s figures.
Stores selling clothing and footwear were one of the better performers with a 129 per cent increase in sales during May. As restaurants started to allow customers to be seated once again, this helped that industry rise by 30.3 percent.
There continues to also be strong spending on home improvements and recreational goods due to many people still being asked to work from home.