Inside Retail presents the Australian Retail Index.

The index gives a quick overview of retail statistics in four key categories; fashion and accessories, furniture and homewares, sporting and recreational, and other.

Key retail statistics are shown weekly, with yearly comparisons available.

The good news continues for retailers with a significant increase in sales growth last week, compared with the previous week. Sales lifted by 9.99 per cent nationally with all sectors except furniture and homewares posting positive results. The fashion and accessories sector was the clear winner with a lift in sales growth of over 30 per cent week on week, perhaps inspired by the changing weather conditions as we move into summer.

NSW saw one of the smallest contributions to growth, with 2.81 per cent, while most other states recorded growth figures of close to or over 10 per cent. Both Western Australia and the ACT finished the week with negative figures of 6.70 per cent and 11.05 per cent respectively. The weeks leading up to the Christmas trading period will answer some questions about the health of the economy in the different states of Australia with results sure to be mixed on a state by state basis.

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