Retail trade figures won't alter downward trend: analysts

The extent of the so-called "consumer spending strike" on the embattled retail sector will become clearer on Thursday when retail trade figures for April are released, after last month's shock 0.1 per cent decline. But even a positive figure is unlikely to cheer economists, analysts and investors, who are downbeat on the sector after several months of weak growth.

March's weak retail trade figure, which came in flat but fell 0.1 per cent when seasonally adjusted, came despite expectations of an 0.3 per cent rise.