SYDNEY: Australian retail sales rose less than expected in May, with a snap coronavirus lockdown in the country’s second most populous state of Victoria hurting demand, preliminary data showed on Monday.

Retail turnover gained 0.1% in May from a month earlier after jumping 1.1% in April, according to figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Median forecasts of economists polled by Reuters had shown they expected a 0.5% increase.

Final results will be released on July 5.

Australia has been largely successful in curbing the coronavirus pandemic by imposing strict physical distancing measures and shutting its international borders. However, it has been plagued by small outbreaks in different parts of the country, leading to snap lockdowns and travel restrictions.