APR RETAIL SALES -17.7% M/M; PREL....>

AUSTRALIA DATA: APR RETAIL SALES -17.7% M/M; PREL -17.9%; MAR +8.5%

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--"There were record falls in cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services

(-35.4 per cent), and clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing (-53.6

per cent), as well as a large fall in department stores (-14.9 per cent)," ABS

spokesperson said.

--Food retailing (-17.4%) led the falls in dollar terms this month following

unprecedented demand in March. 

--Other retailing (-14.4%) fell after a large rise in March, while household

goods retailing (-0.1 per cent) saw a minor fall in sales as falls from closures

of some physical stores were offset by a rise in hardware, building and garden

supply retailing.

--The closure of physical stores in some industries led to a rise in online

retail turnover, which contributed 11.1% to total retail turnover in original

terms in April 2020, up from 7.1% in March 2020.