The Australian Retailers Association has recommended the Australian Bureau of Statistics disclose more detail on the ‘other’ retail sales category to show the speed in growth of online sales.

The ABS current splits retailing into a number of different categories, such as clothing and household goods. However it does not specifically categorise online sales with the existing groups.

“Online retailing is in the ‘other’ retailing area, so you don’t know what percentage of that ‘other’ retailing is the online,” said Australian Retailers Association executive director Russell Zimmerman.

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Online sales in the retail sector increased in the month of February indicating growth in consumers willingness to spend online.

Figures showed the National Australia Bank Online retail sales index jumped 26 per cent in the year to February, increasing from the 19 per cent pace in the year to January.

“This increase was particularly notable given that February 2010 and 2011 recorded little to no growth when compared with the preceding month of January,” said NAB chief economist Alan Oster.