Retail turnover stalled for the month of March with a seasonally adjusted figure of 0%.
In March, there was a fall of 0.2% in overall sales for clothing, footwear and personal accessories. This followed a more promising performance in February.
Retail trade across the states and territories was mixed with New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania posting falls in retail sales.
However, retail in Victoria, South Australia, the Northern Territory and the ACT posted growth.
NRA CEO Dominique Lamb said that the ABS figures were disappointing and again demonstrated the modest start to 2018 that retail is experiencing.
“The March figures represent a stall in retail sales with all industries recording a drop in turnover other than food retailing.
“At a state level, the news was also fairly disappointing with half the states and territories recording declining sales.
“This is very sobering news for retailers across the country and again highlights the modest start to 2018 that the sector is experiencing.
“While the NRA is certainly not hitting the panic button just yet, this is a timely reminder of the need for governments to put into place measures that support retail.
“Measures such as cuts to personal and company tax, along with an extension to the instant asset write off for small businesses, would go a long way to boosting the Australian retail sector.”