RTTNews reports that according to the report from Australian Bureau of Statistics, the total value of retail sales in Australia was down a seasonally adjusted 4.0 percent on month in August, coming in at A$29.481 billion. That beat forecasts for a drop of 4.2 percent. 

Australian Bureau of Statistics said that food retailing fell 0.2 percent in August as sales fell 2.9 percent for liquor retailing, rose 0.1 percent for supermarket and grocery stores and rose 0.5 percent for other specialized food retailing.

Household goods retailing fell 6.0 percent as sales fell 7.7 percent for electrical and electronic goods retailing, fell 6.1 percent for hardware, building and garden supplies retailing and fell 3.3 percent for furniture, floor coverings, houseware and textile goods retailing.