Australian retail sales slumped by only 1.1% for September 2020, 0.4% better than expected in the preliminary data provided by the ABS.
In August, retail sales fell by 4% on a seasonally-adjusted basis and economists had been forecasting a 1.5% decline for September.
Overall, turnover rose by 5.6% for the same month last year and the seasonally-adjusted estimate for turnover rose 6.5% for the September quarter.
Household goods retailing fell 3.6% in September, in seasonally adjusted terms.
And by industry cate, the seasonally adjusted estimate fell 7.4% for electrical and electronic goods retailing, fell by 2.2% for furniture, floor coverings, houseware and textile goods retailing and declined by 0.5% for hardware, building and garden supplies retailing.
Every Australian state saw a decline in monthly retail turnover, while the Northern Territory enjoyed a 4.3% jump.
Meanwhile, online sales had a boost during the COVID-19 period, with it accounting for 10.6% of all retail sales for the month of September.
