SYDNEY, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Australian retail sales volumes rose at a snail's pace in the December quarter as punishing mortgage repayments and declining real incomes ate into spending power, data showed on Tuesday.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics reported real retail sales rose 0.3% in the fourth quarter, just ahead of market expectations for a gain of 0.1%.
Sales volumes were down 1.0% on a year earlier, a weak result usually only seen during recessions or COVID lockdowns. Rapid population growth meant sales on a per capita basis were down 3.5% for the year.
