Industry Analysis & Industry Trends
Fabric retailers experienced a difficult trading environment over the past five years, with industry sales projected to post weak annualised growth of 1.2% through 2012-13. Operating conditions during this period have been influenced by increasing competition from external players, which played havoc with industry sales and profit margins. Revenue growth was also affected by trends in disposable incomes, consumer sentiment, interest rates, house construction activity, consumer preferences and seasonal trends in fabric colour, design and texture.
Industry revenue is expected to increase by 2.6% to $3.22 billion in 2012-13. Demand for products sold by fabric retailers is set to benefit from a rise in house construction activity and continued growth in disposable income levels. A... purchase to read more
Industry Report - Industry Locations Chapter
The location of fabric and home textile stores has largely been driven by population trends across Australia. Added to this, trends in market competition and growth in the establishment of new residential estates have influenced the location of new stores. Over the past five years, the majority of industry establishments have been located in New South Wales, with the dominance of this state linked to its high population. Victoria has ranked second with 29.5%, followed by Queensland with 18.0%. At the lower end of the scale, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory have accounted for relatively small shares of establishments. Store location over the past five years has also been influenced by variations in incomes... purchase to read more