Australian retail sales rose unexpectedly in the month of January. At 0.2%, the rise in sales aggressively overshot expectations of a -0.5% decline in the figure. Spending was bolstered by the government’s distribution of A$8.9 billion ($5.6 billion) in cash grants to families as a result of the stimulus package passed in late January. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced that they would continue distributing more cash. In fact, another A$12.7 billion will be sent to lower and middle-income families and individuals.
The greatest gains in spending came in the form of eating out at cafes and restaurants. This sector of the overall metric rose 2.3%, but hasn’t shrunken since October. On the contrary, spending on household goods fell a substantial 4.0%, lending clues as to the underlying sentiment being felt among the public. That is, spending on durable (big-ticket) goods like washers, refrigerators, and television has probably also fallen. Furthermore, this could imply that people are reluctant to purchase such items because of the fear they may have over losing their house due to delinquencies in mortgage payments.
