Retail spending ticks up in June

Retail spending ticks up in June
(Image: Getty)
Staff reporters
Retail spending rose 0.5% in June, a stronger lift than economists had expected.Spending on apparel led the retail categories, up 3.1% for the month.Spending on consumable goods rose 1% and spending on durable goods rose 0.6%.“While this is an encouraging sign for economic activity, it does need to be taken with a grain of salt,” Westpac senior economist Satish Ranchhod said.“Much of the rise in spending over the past month was related to increased spending on groceries and, in part, that will reflect the large price increases...