Group 1 - The retail sector in Melbourne is showing signs of recovery, with the average vacancy rate in major commercial streets decreasing from 11% to 8.6% over the past year [1][2] - South Yarra's Toorak Road has seen a significant drop in vacancy rate from 10% to 4.6%, while Brighton's Church Street boasts an exceptionally low vacancy rate of 1.7% [1][2] - The overall vacancy rate across Melbourne's commercial streets stands at 8.3% as of January 2025 [2] Group 2 - Cafés and restaurants remain the most active new entrants in the retail market, accounting for nearly one-third of all stores, indicating the resilience and ongoing appeal of the food and beverage sector [3] - Service-oriented businesses, including gyms, dental clinics, accounting firms, and beauty stores, have expanded to represent 21% of total stores, surpassing traditional apparel retail for the first time [3] Group 3 - Retail trade across all Australian states and territories has increased, with the Northern Territory experiencing the highest growth at 3.7%, followed by Western Australia at 3.3%, both exceeding the national growth rate of 2.2% [5] - The personal goods sector has shown the most significant growth at 5%, while food sales increased by 2.6%. In contrast, the home goods sector has declined due to a slowdown in the real estate market, reflecting current economic uncertainties [5]