Fed: Retail sales top $15 billion for first time

AAP General News (Australia)
02-04-2000
Fed: Retail sales top $15 billion for first time

By Krista Hughes

CANBERRA, Feb 4 AAP - Australians opened their wallets like never before for Christmas
`99, spending almost $16 billion in the nation's shops and restaurants in December.

Raw figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) show retail spending soared
to $15.9 billion in December, an increase of $1.3 billion, or 9.1 per cent, on last year.

Department stores were the biggest winners, with sales increasing 71 per cent compared
to the previous month to just over $2 billion.

Sales of clothing and recreational …