Tasmania had the nation's strongest retail sales growth in January, with a string of categories posting record sales.
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Statewide retail turnover increased by 0.7 per cent in trend terms in January, the Australian Bureau of Statistics estimated.
Queensland had the next highest growth rate (0.3 per cent), while four states or territories were flat or went backwards.
Finance Minister Michael Ferguson said Tasmania topping the nation for retail growth in January was a win for business.
"Retail trade hit a new record of $580.7 million for the month and, over the year to January 2020, it grew 6.7 per cent," Mr Ferguson said.
"That is again the highest growth rate in the nation, and nearly three times higher than the growth seen nationally.
"This is in spite of alternative Labor leader David O'Byrne's repeated attempts to talk down businesses and damage confidence.
"Mr O'Byrne can continue to talk Tasmania down, but these figures speak for themselves and Tasmanians will not be fooled.
"Maybe his doom and gloom should be reserved for reminiscing about the bad old days when Mr O'Byrne was firing police and shutting down the forest industry in the Labor-Green accord.."
Mr Ferguson said economic headwinds remained and Tasmania was not immune to the economic impacts of bushfires and coronavirus.
"The Tasmanian majority Liberal government is investing in the infrastructure our growing state needs with our $3.7 billion infrastructure program to maintain the strong economic momentum and create a further 10,000 jobs across the next four years," he said.
Tasmanian supermarkets and grocery stores were estimated to have sold a record $222.8 million worth of goods during the month, an increase of $1.2 million.
And that was before this month's coronavirus-inspired rush on toilet paper.
Liquor, for which the ABS has only published separate estimates for 10 months, had its equal strongest sales month on record ($29.7 million).
Tasmanians started the year well fed, as cafes, restaurants and catering services also had record sales ($33.1 million), as did takeaways ($32.4 million).
Sales of electrical and electronic goods increased by $400,000 to a record $41.1 million.
Newspapers and books combined had their strongest sales month since December 16, edging up by $100,000 to $12 million.
Pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and toiletries were steady at $31.4 million.
National turnover weakened for a second consecutive month.
It fell by 0.3 per cent in January and 0.7 per cent in December.
"Bushfires in January negatively impacted a range of retail businesses across a variety industries," ABS director of quarterly economy wide surveys Ben James said.
"Retailers reported a range if impacts that reduced customer numbers, including interruptions to trading hours and tourism."
Online retail was 6.3 per cent of total national retail turnover in January, the ABS said.
That was up from 5.6 per cent in January 2019.
Tasmanians' spending on discretionary goods (wants, rather than needs) grew much more strongly than spending on essential items in recent months.
State Treasury analysis issued in February said spending in discretionary goods was 7.7 per cent stronger in December than in December 2018.
Spending on essential items increased by 5.1 per cent.
