Consumer sentiment has rose 1.2 per cent from 104.1 in March to 105.3 in April, according to the Westpac-Melbourne Institute index of consumer sentiment figures.

Australian National Retail Association CEO Margy Osmond said consumer confidence readings are starting to reflect the experience at the shopfront but it’s still ‘lacklustre’.
 
“Retailers will not be surprised to see only a slight rise in confidence overall, and the drop of 4.6 per cent in city dwellers confidence will resonate strongly with the sector. Retailers are still choosing to keep goods discounted to compete not only with the online offerings, but also with a consumer who needs to be convinced to make a purchase, even for goods they might need,” she said.
 
““The ‘good time to buy a major household appliance’ index remains strong, but has not been a good predictor of consumer behaviour recently and reflects the high Australian dollar and heavy price competition in this sector.
 
“On the plus side it’s good to see the rural sector feeling more positive, with the weather contributing to good growing conditions and agriculture prices riding high. If we can get some of those rural dwellers into town to the shops retailers would be very happy to see them.”