Jan 28, 2025

Australian Business Activity Sees December Resurgence

In December, Australian business activity experienced a notable rebound, driven by increased Christmas demand that provided a much-needed boost to the retail sector. This positive shift is highlighted in a survey conducted by the National Australia Bank (NAB), which revealed an improvement in several key business indices.

The NAB survey disclosed that its index of business conditions rose by 3 points to +6, partially recovering from a 5-point decline in November. Sales also increased by 3 points, reaching +9, while profitability saw a 4-point rise to +4. The employment index showed a modest gain of 1 point, bringing it to +4, indicating that employment conditions are improving across various sectors except for transport and utilities, construction, and wholesale.

Most notably, the retail sector entered positive territory for the first time since November 2023, underscoring the resilience of consumer demand despite high mortgage rates and living cost pressures. According to Alan Oster, NAB's chief economist, "Conditions remain strongest in services sectors," with significant improvements across numerous industries.

Despite these gains, business confidence remains fragile as companies continue to grapple with escalating costs. The survey revealed that purchase costs edged up, whereas labor costs decelerated to a quarterly pace of 1.4%, reflecting ongoing softening in wage pressures. This trend occurs even as the labor market remains robust, suggesting a potential easing in wage-driven inflationary pressures.

The Reserve Bank of Australia's decision to maintain interest rates at 4.35% throughout the year has sparked market speculation about a possible policy easing as soon as February, driven by the slowing pace of inflation. Data from IndexBox further corroborates this cautious economic optimism, revealing broader economic conditions that are set to influence future business strategies within the country.

Source: IndexBox Market Intelligence Platform

1. INTRODUCTION

Making Data-Driven Decisions to Grow Your Business
1. REPORT DESCRIPTION
2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND AI PLATFORM
3. DATA-DRIVEN DECISIONS FOR YOUR BUSINESS
4. GLOSSARY AND SPECIFIC TERMS
2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

A Quick Overview of Market Performance
1. KEY FINDINGS
2. MARKET TRENDS This Chapter is Available Only for the Professional Edition PRO
3. MARKET OVERVIEW

Understanding the Current State of The Market and Its Prospects
1. MARKET SIZE
2. CONSUMPTION BY COUNTRY
3. MARKET FORECAST TO 2030
4. MOST PROMISING PRODUCT

Finding New Products to Diversify Your Business
This Chapter is Available Only for the Professional Edition PRO
1. TOP PRODUCTS TO DIVERSIFY YOUR BUSINESS
2. BEST-SELLING PRODUCTS
3. MOST CONSUMED PRODUCT
4. MOST TRADED PRODUCT
5. MOST PROFITABLE PRODUCT FOR EXPORT
5. MOST PROMISING SUPPLYING COUNTRIES

Choosing the Best Countries to Establish Your Sustainable Supply Chain
This Chapter is Available Only for the Professional Edition PRO
1. TOP COUNTRIES TO SOURCE YOUR PRODUCT
2. TOP PRODUCING COUNTRIES
3. TOP EXPORTING COUNTRIES
4. LOW-COST EXPORTING COUNTRIES
6. MOST PROMISING OVERSEAS MARKETS

Choosing the Best Countries to Boost Your Exports
This Chapter is Available Only for the Professional Edition PRO
1. TOP OVERSEAS MARKETS FOR EXPORTING YOUR PRODUCT
2. TOP CONSUMING MARKETS
3. UNSATURATED MARKETS
4. TOP IMPORTING MARKETS
5. MOST PROFITABLE MARKETS
7. GLOBAL PRODUCTION

The Latest Trends and Insights into The Industry
1. PRODUCTION VOLUME AND VALUE
2. PRODUCTION BY COUNTRY
8. GLOBAL IMPORTS
The Largest Importers on The Market and How They Succeed
1. IMPORTS FROM 2012–2024
2. IMPORTS BY COUNTRY
3. IMPORT PRICES BY COUNTRY
9. GLOBAL EXPORTS
The Largest Exporters on The Market and How They Succeed
1. EXPORTS FROM 2012–2024
2. EXPORTS BY COUNTRY
3. EXPORT PRICES BY COUNTRY
10. PROFILES OF MAJOR PRODUCERS

The Largest Producers on The Market and Their Profiles
This Chapter is Available Only for the Professional Edition PRO
11. COUNTRY PROFILES

The Largest Markets And Their Profiles
This Chapter is Available Only for the Professional Edition PRO
- United States
- China
- Japan
- Germany
- United Kingdom
- France
- Brazil
- Italy
- Russian Federation
- India
- Canada
- Australia
- Republic of Korea
- Spain
- Mexico
- Indonesia
- Netherlands
- Turkey
- Saudi Arabia
- Switzerland
- Sweden
- Nigeria
- Poland
- Belgium
- Argentina
- Norway
- Austria
- Thailand
- United Arab Emirates
- Colombia
- Denmark
- South Africa
- Malaysia
- Israel
- Singapore
- Egypt
- Philippines
- Finland
- Chile
- Ireland
- Pakistan
- Greece
- Portugal
- Kazakhstan
- Algeria
- Czech Republic
- Qatar
- Peru
- Romania
- Vietnam
LIST OF TABLES
1. Key Findings In 2024
2. Market Volume, In Physical Terms, 2012–2024
3. Market Value, 2012–2024
4. Per Capita Consumption, By Country, 2018–2024
5. Production, In Physical Terms, By Country, 2012–2024
6. Imports, In Physical Terms, By Country, 2012–2024
7. Imports, In Value Terms, By Country, 2012–2024
8. Import Prices, By Country Of Destination, 2012–2024
9. Exports, In Physical Terms, By Country, 2012–2024
10. Exports, In Value Terms, By Country, 2012–2024
11. Export Prices, By Country Of Origin, 2012–2024
LIST OF FIGURES
1. Market Volume, In Physical Terms, 2012–2024
2. Market Value, 2012–2024
3. Consumption, By Country, 2024
4. Market Volume Forecast to 2030
5. Market Value Forecast to 2030
6. Products: Market Size And Growth, By Type
7. Products: Average Per Capita Consumption, By Type
8. Products: Exports And Growth, By Type
9. Products: Export Prices And Growth, By Type
10. Production Volume And Growth
11. Exports And Growth
12. Export Prices And Growth
13. Market Size And Growth
14. Per Capita Consumption
15. Imports And Growth
16. Import Prices
17. Production, In Physical Terms, 2012–2024
18. Production, In Value Terms, 2012–2024
19. Production, By Country, 2024
20. Production, In Physical Terms, By Country, 2012–2024
21. Imports, In Physical Terms, 2012–2024
22. Imports, In Value Terms, 2012–2024
23. Imports, In Physical Terms, By Country, 2024
24. Imports, In Physical Terms, By Country, 2012–2024
25. Imports, In Value Terms, By Country, 2012–2024
26. Import Prices, By Country, 2012–2024
27. Exports, In Physical Terms, 2012–2024
28. Exports, In Value Terms, 2012–2024
29. Exports, In Physical Terms, By Country, 2024
30. Exports, In Physical Terms, By Country, 2012–2024
31. Exports, In Value Terms, By Country, 2012–2024
32. Export Prices, 2012–2024