Australian retail sales held up well in January despite the initial chaos caused by rising Omicron cases and its impact on staffing and supply chains, according to Mastercard spending data. Across the country, retail sales were 4.9 percent higher in January compared to the same time last year, and the figure is up 14.4 percent compared to two years ago. Australian Retailers Association CEO Paul Zahra was pleased that the Omicron outbreak failed to dampen retail sales despite early concerns around foot traffic and staffing issues. “January was an up and down month for retailers,” he said. “Overall, we’ve had a soft landing from Omicron and the impacts on sales have not been as severe as we originally feared.” Towards the end of the month, the number of infections began trending downwards and close contact isolation rules for essential workers were eased. Data from Mastercard also show that household goods …