Australian retail sales up in June

Australian retail sales grew 0.7 percent in June as compared to the 0.4 percent growth in May, authorities said on Tuesday.

The growth in June is also higher than the 0.4 percent predicted for the month, Xinhua quoted the Australian Bureau of Statistics as saying.

Local consumers spent more on electronics, furniture, houseware and do-it-yourself renovation and hardware.

The largest contributor to the rise in June was household goods retailing, which climbed 2.2 percent, the bureau said.