TASMANIA saw a $1.2million rise in retail spending in June, bumping state figures up to $477.1million for the month.
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The increase is an 0.3per cent rise from May this year and a 2.9per cent bump from June last year, which sat at $463.5million.
The figure adds to an overall Australian retail turnover of nearly $24,300million for June, as recorded by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Consumer confidence has been cited as the reason behind the rise, which has been felt by businesses in Launceston.
Launceston’s Petrarch’s Bookshop manager Marcus Durkin said the store had seen progressive growth for the past few quarters.
‘‘We’ve had some really successful periods for a while now; it’s been really positive for us,’’ he said.
‘‘There have been some good books out. In general, I think there’s a very positive feel for Launceston and that’s a good feeling for us as well.
‘‘People are making more of an effort to get into the centre of the city, and different organisations have been active trying to get people in.’’
Mr Durkin said the outcome was also a result of trying to cater to the customers’ needs.
‘‘It may be the personal service and ordering side of things, or stocking different ranges. We’ve grown the adult colouring book range, which is all the rage now – we have 50 different titles as a conservative estimate. About 12 months ago, we wouldn’t have had two.’’
Treasurer Peter Gutwein said the state now held the ‘‘highest business confidence in the country’’.
‘‘However, we know there is still a lot of work to do,’’ he said.
‘‘The best way to help the retail sector is to create jobs and make sure more Tasmanians have money in their pocket.’’