Thursday, 4 October 2010
Retail limping painfully toward Christmas - ANRA
In the second blow to the retail sector in two days, figures announced this morning show Australian retailing
‘muddling along’ when it should be taking off at a gallop for Christmas, Australian National Retailers Association
(ANRA), CEO Margy Osmond said today.
Mrs Osmond said the September figures released today by the ABS, showed a 0.3% increase across the sector with
strong growth in clothing (up 2.5%), but slow numbers for other retail sectors.
“Launching into Spring you would expect clothing and accessories to improve, but for the rest of the sector numbers
remain flat. Taking out café and restaurants the September numbers are still 50% lower than what we would expect
at this time of year - 2.6% up on September last year, which is very disappointing when healthy growth should be
closer to 6%.
“Consumers might be cruising the malls, but it’s strictly window shopping and with the high dollar growing numbers
are turning to their laptops and the lure of overseas websites. Retailers will be working hard to encourage them to
feel the Christmas spirit locally and stock up in-store for the holidays.
“Australians are going online to shop more now than they ever have, and are now looking at shoes and fashion from
overseas retailers in greater numbers thanks to the rising Aussie dollar. It’s great news for consumers, they have more
retail options than they ever have before, but shops at home will suffer as a result.
“A concerning trend for the last weeks before Christmas is not only the online activity, but the attitude and spending
intentions of Australians who have become more and more frugal and price conscious in the last twelve months.
“Of 1000 surveyed by ANRA and American Express recently, only 13% planned to increase their spending from
October, and one-in-five planned to decrease their spending, in what we would expect to be peak Christmas shopping
period. Of those in the 35-44 year old age group, who might be expected to have a young family, only 9.6% were
planning to up spending this month.
“This either spells a dismal run-up to Christmas for retailers or a mad rush for the stores to fill the stocking before the
big day.
“Adding to retailers concerns, consumers are continuing to delay major purchases – a key indicator of how confident
they are in the economic environment. Of those who responded to the survey, 27% had delayed a major purchase in
October, and that number is only likely to increase with the interest rate rise announced this week,” she said.
Media inquiries:
Frith Rayner
0409 437 433
frayner@anra.com.au
Did you delay a major purchase in October?
Overall
Male
Female
18-24
years
25-34
years
35-44
years
45-54
years
55-64
years
65 +
years
Yes
27.47%
28.63%
26.34%
24.41%
33.88%
29.44%
29.03%
25.83%
19.75%
No
72.53%
71.37%
73.66%
75.59%
66.12%
70.56%
70.97%
74.17%
80.25%
What are your spending intentions for November?
Overall
Male
Female
18-24
years
25-34
years
35-44
years
45-54
years
55-64
years
65+
years
Increase my retail spending
13.09%
9.88%
16.24%
16.54%
14.21%
9.64%
15.59%
11.92%
11.46%
Around the same level as October
66.13%
69.76%
62.57%
64.57%
61.20%
68.53%
60.75%
66.23%
76.43%
Decrease my retail spending
20.78%
20.36%
21.19%
18.90%
24.59%
21.83%
23.66%
21.85%
12.10%
NEWS 
