Clothing, footwear and accessories retailing rose more than 100% in May, according to preliminary figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
As restrictions eased, many consumers felt comfortable to venture out to shop, however despite a significant rise in the sector, the category still remains more than 20% down on May 2019.
Overall, the ABS reports that Australian retail turnover rose 16.3% in May, making it the largest seasonally adjusted rise ever published in the 38 years of the Retail Trade survey.
However, this historic rise also follows a record-breaking low in April, which recorded the largest ever seasonally adjusted fall of 17.7%.
In comparison to May 2019, Australian retail turnover rose 5.3%.
National Retail Association CEO Dominique Lamb said that while the results are encouraging, retailers need to consider the broader context.
"It’s certainly good news to see retail sales rebound strongly in May and hopefully it’s a sign that we are recovering from the economic sledgehammer of COVID-19.
"However, we do need to remember the broader context.
"These figures were recorded following the worst month on record in April 2020 and following the easing of business restrictions, so an uptick was to be expected.
"The fact is many retailers are still struggling to cope following the economic impact of COVID-19 and Australia is entering its first recession since 1991.
"Retail is still far from out of the woods, but hopefully the ABS results demonstrate that we are on the road to recovery.
"The JobKeeper and JobSeeker programs have also helped keep ticking things along, but these are only temporary measures which won’t maintain strong consumer confidence.
"The NRA will continue to urge the Government to be judicious in when and how they unwind these schemes to prevent businesses closing and jobs being lost," she said.