• NAB Online Retail Sales Index (NORSI) accelerated in April (+1.4% mom s.a.) from stronger growth in March (1.1%). 12 months to growth was also stronger in April, with sales up 17.9% compared to last year. While slowing, trend online retail sales is still much stronger compared to the same period a year ago.
• ABS data on traditional retailers showed month on month seasonally adjusted sales were flat (0.0%) in March, substantially outpaced by NORSI in that month.
• We estimate that Australian consumers have spent around $25.8 billion over the 12 months to April 2018. This is equivalent to 8.2% of spending at traditional bricks & mortar retailers, as measured by the ABS in the 12 months to March 2018.
• All but two categories accelerated in sales growth in April 2018. Fastest 12-months-to growth was recorded by Department stores, whose sales accelerated (25.5% April vs 22.0% 12 months to March). 2nd placed Toys and Games, which recorded the fastest 12-months-to growth in March, slowed in April (25.1% vs 34.7%), along with Food Catering (9.3% vs 15.2%).
• The much larger sales category, Media (23.5% vs 22.6%), was third fastest in 12 months to terms. Smallest spend share category, Daily Deals, also recorded double digit growth (20.6% vs 14.0%), along with larger sales categories of Grocery and Liquor (18.9% vs 14.1%), Fashion (14.9% vs 6.8%), Homeware and Appliances (14.8% vs 12.5%), and Personal and Recreational (13.0% vs 5.7%).
• Sales to online SME merchants represent almost 37% of all online sales. Seasonally adjusted SME sales (0.7%,mom s.a.) slowed in April, outpaced by large online retailers.

For further details, please see the attached document:

• NAB Online Retail Sales Index: April 2018 (PDF, 302kb)