Shoes out, sheets in as Australians purchase their way through lockdown

Glancing at the ABS trade statistics, the impact of the pandemic shows up disproportionately in odd places.

One industry bearing the brunt is footwear. When you’re at home all the time, who needs shoes? Shoe imports are down 30% on August last year.

Meanwhile the category that includes bedding is resurgent after a dip early in the pandemic, up 15% on the same time last year.

If the old saying is right — better to wear out shoes than sheets — Australia is in trouble. But these days, perhaps the saying is redundant.

After all, on webcam, who can see your feet?