Australian retailers posted a 0.4 percent rise in sales in the month of June, despite warnings of a retail apocalypse caused by online commerce.

The 0.4 percent boost was higher than the expectations of many analysts, and a marked improvement over May's 0.1 percent rise.

"There were rises in five of the six industries this month, although overall the retail environment remains subdued," said Ben James from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.  

The ABS data reflects consumer behaviour in the month after the first of the Reserve Bank rate cuts, but before the second in July and the arrival of tax cuts via people's tax returns.