04.06.201902:19:00UTC+00Australia Retail Sales Fall Unexpectedly

Australia's retail sales fell unexpectedly in April, data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed on Tuesday.

Retail sales fell 0.1 percent month-on-month in April, after a 0.3 percent rise in March.

Economists had expected a 0.2 percent increase in sales.

There were falls in New South Wales, Victoria, the Northern Territory, and the Australian Capital Territory. Meanwhile, sales in Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, and Tasmania increased from previous month.

There were mixed results across industries with falls in Household goods retailing, cafes, restaurant and takeaway food services, and clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing, which were offset by rises in other retailing, department stores, and Food retailing, Ben Faulkner, ABS Director of Quarterly Economy Wide Surveys, said.