• CommBank’s Household Spending Insights report, published in September, showed Australian household spending rose just 0.1% in August.
• Food and beverage goods recorded one of the largest monthly spending declines, highlighting softer grocery demand.
• Essential spending rose 4.8% year over year, compared with 3.3% growth in discretionary spending.
• Head of Australian Economics Belinda Allen said household spending was tracking weaker for this time of year than in previous years.

Disclaimer: This news brief was created by Public Technologies (PUBT) using generative artificial intelligence. While PUBT strives to provide accurate and timely information, this AI-generated content is for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as financial, investment, or legal advice. Commonwealth Bank of Australia published the original content used to generate this news brief on October 30, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained therein.