It looks bland, but behind the front of this house in northern Tasmania is a spectacular home with a smart system that allows you to control electricity, heating and windows from an app on your phone.
S&P/ASX 200 dives 1 65% as retail sales rise at a slower pace in January proactiveinvestors.com.au - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from proactiveinvestors.com.au Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
By Reuters Staff
2 Min Read
SYDNEY, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Australian retail sales rose by less than expected in January as a coronavirus lockdown in the city of Brisbane kept shoppers at home, continuing the see saw pattern of sales in recent months.
Sales rose 0.6% in January, from December, missing market forecasts of a 2.0% gain, preliminary data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) showed on Friday.
Yet sales of A$30.54 billion ($23.73 billion) were still up a strong 10.7% on January last year, before the pandemic hit.
The state of Queensland saw a fall of 1.5% as COVID-19 restrictions in Brisbane hit household goods retailing, clothing, footwear and department stores.