The retail sector is performing well in the run up to Christmas, with the latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) pointing to a rise in turnover in October.
During the month, retail turnover increased 0.5 per cent, following a 0.9 per cent increase in September.
A number of sectors proved to be standout performers – cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services saw their turnover rise by 1.2 per cent, while clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing increased 0.6 per cent.
Other top performing industries included food retailing, which emerged as the strongest contributor to growth in the long term.
The coming days are likely to present a number of opportunities and challenges to retailers throughout Australia, not least because December 8 is predicted to be the biggest mobile shopping day ever.
The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) explained that around 2.3 million people in this country alone will log on to eBay on this day – a rise of more than 30 per cent compared to the same time last year.
Executive director of the ARA Russell Zimmerman noted that 140,000 items valued at a total of $5 million are expected to be traded using a mobile device on this day.
"Shoppers will 'click into Christmas' more than ever this year, and the ARA has been working alongside retailers to ensure their websites are as user friendly as possible in the lead up to Christmas," he added.
Making use of customer satisfaction surveys is a great idea at this time of year, not least because brands can receive real-time feedback on their websites to help determine what is working and where improvements can be made.
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