Australian state courts are facing major delays expected to take a year to clear due to scaled back operations during the coronavirus pandemic. 9News
Retail spending fell by a record 17.7 per cent in April amid strict coronavirus restrictions, indicating the depth of weakness in household spending expected over coming months.
The fall came after retail sales rose by a record 8.5 per cent in March as households stockpiled goods.Lockdown measures caused a big shift in spending patterns in April, official figures show, with e-commerce sales soaring 26.4 per cent to $2.7 billion. Online sales made up 20.5 per cent of sales of household goods, clothing and footwear, the ABS announced on Thursday.
Food retailing led the fall in dollar terms, sliding 17.4 per cent from March, when there was a record rise as households stockpiled goods.Spending on clothing, footwear and personal accessory plunged 53.6 per cent.
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