Retail spend flat

RETAIL spending rose 0.1 per cent in January, well short of the 0.4 per cent rise the market was expecting.

Seasonally adjusted retail spending edged higher to $26.3 billion in the month, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Clothing, footwear and personal accessory sales fell 0.7 per cent in January, department store sales were down 0.6 per cent, while household goods retailing, and sales at cafes, restaurants, and takeaway food outlets, both rose 0.1 per cent.