Transport operations expected to increase in line with figures based on pallet movements
The transport industry may be set to benefit from an increase in retail activity across Australia.
The Australian Food and Grocery Council combines with supply chain technology specialist CHEP to produce the quarterly snapshot of the retail sector.
The latest, considering the three months ending on June 30 this year, shows there was a 4.2 per cent increase in activity when compared to the same period in 2014.
This slight pick-up in year-on-year growth came largely on the back of household goods retailing, the strongest subsector in the research.
Record low interest rates and an increase in new home building also contributed to the overall improvement.
The research – based on pallet movement data – predicts continued growth into the next quarter. It suggests the retail index will notch up a 4.7 per cent year-on-year improvement during August, and a 4.6 per cent increase in September.
CHEP Asia-Pacific president Phillip Austin says that translates into an expected improvement when the next survey is released in October.
“On a quarterly basis, the index was 4.3 per cent higher in the June quarter in 2015 compared with the June quarter in 2014, and growth in the index is expected to lift to 4.6 per cent year-on year by the September quarter 2015.”