Australian online sales grow in December

Australia's online retail sales continued to grow in December 2013, driven by Christmas time sales of electronic games, toys, groceries and liquor, according to a monthly survey released Wednesday by National Australia Bank (NAB). The NAB Online Retail Sales Index rose modestly in December to 240 points, seasonally adjusted, from 237 points in November. The survey showed online sales expanded 1.58 percent in the month, following a 1.65 percent rise in November. The bank said the recent growth came after the relatively flat period of August to October. The NAB figures showed online retail spending was up 12.6 percent compared to a year earlier. In 2013, Australians spent 14.7 billion AU dollars (13.1 billion U.S. dollars) on online retail, a level that is equivalent to 6.5 percent of spending with traditional bricks and mortar retail in the country excluding cafes, restaurants and takeaway food.