Retail spending rose 0.4{845d44a2f09c0018d802e19e78941a85dc2180e4ed7410cee0b34e8cb134ecea} in March to $24.9b

Retail spending rose 0.4 per cent in March, missing economists’ expectations, with consumers spending more on food while sales in department stores fell.
There was a 0.6 per cent rise in the food category, while department store sales were 0.5 per cent weaker.
Total retail spending was $24.94 billion in March, up from $24.85 billion in February, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said on Thursday. Sydney Morning Herald – Read more…