Total online retailing sales were $4.1 billion in May 2024 in seasonally adjusted terms according to new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Seasonally adjusted online sales fell 2.4 per cent (down $100.3 million), following a rise of 6.8 per cent (up $270.4 million) in April 2024.
Seasonally adjusted through-the-year sales are up 6.3 per cent or $245.8 million.
Meanwhile, original online sales in May 2024 rose 8.0 per cent ($301.2 million). This is smaller than the rise in original online sales in May 2023 of 12.6 per cent.
Food online sales were $1.24 billion while non-food online sales were $2.9 billion, in seasonally adjusted terms. Food sales fell 2.8 per cent (down $35.8 million) and non-food fell 2.2 per cent (down $64.5 million).
In original terms, the proportion of online food retailing sales to total food retailing rose from 6.1 per cent to 6.3 per cent. The proportion for online non-food retailing sales to total non-food retailing rose from 17.2 per cent to 17.7 per cent.
In original terms, the proportion of online sales to total retailing rose from 11.0 per cent to 11.4 per cent. Online sales made up 10.9 per cent of total retail sales in May 2023.
This comes as fashion sales lift 1.6 per cent in May 2024 from the prior month, while they have fallen 0.2 per cent compared to May 2023. Meanwhile, department store sales have fallen by 0.9 per cent on the prior month and 1.7 per cent on the same month last year.
When it comes to retail spending overall, including food retailing, spending is up 1.7 per cent year-on-year and 0.6 per cent month on month.