Australian retail sales have maintained their forward momentum, increasing 5.5 per cent in June 2014, compared to June 2013, according to The Australian Bureau of Statistics.

The increase follows year on year growth of 5.3 per cent in May.

Total retail sales for the month of June 2014 were $23.2 billion.

Month on month growth was slower, rising by 0.6 per cent in June 2014 over May 2014.

The highest increases were seen in household good retailing, which increased by 1.7 per cent; clothing, footwear, and personal accessory retailing, up 1.4 per cent; other retail, up 0.9 per cent; and food retailing 0.5 per cent.

These rises were partially offset by falls in cafes, restaurant and takeaway food services  of 0.6 per cent, and department stores, which fell by 0.5 per cent.

The biggest growth in turnover came out of Tasmania, which saw a 1.3 per cent pick up in retail sales, followed by Western Australia with 1.3 per cent growth; NSW, 0.9 per cent; Victoria, 0.6 per cent; Northern Territory, 0.3 per cent; while Queensland remained unchanged.

The ACT saw the only decrease, dropping 0.5 per cent.

Through the year, Australian retail turnover rose 5.5 per cent in June 2014, seasonally adjusted, compared to June 2013.

Australian Retailers Association (ARA) executive director, Russell Zimmerman, said that after an unseasonably warm autumn and post-Federal Budget drop in consumer confidence, retailers breathed a sigh of relief in June as the winter chill slowly started to settle in.

“Although retailers reported sales to be patchy, consumers finally started to stock up on their winter wardrobes and household items,” said Zimmerman.

“This increased activity also coincided with the launch of the mid-year stocktake sales period, with many retailers launching major sales mid-June.

“The Federal Government must now do all that it can to ensure that retail trade does not suffer as we gear up toward the spring/summer racing season and also the Christmas trading period.”