It has just been two weeks since case numbers began to rise across the state and retailers across Greater Bendigo say they have experienced a sharp fall in sales.

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Bendigo Sportsfirst owner Sandy Agnoletto said there was a noticeable drop in foot traffic and sales compared to late last year.

"The last two weeks haven't been as strong as last year and it has been a combination of case numbers, staff issues and not having the stock," he said.

"It has definitely been slower and there are fewer customers walking through the door.

"This is just another dilemma that we have to deal with.

"We got staff issues for people that are close contacts or those who have caught COVID-19 and we also have the flow-on effect with that from couriers to suppliers and getting stock when we need it and I think that will be the main issue for the next couple of months."

Mr Agnoletto said it was difficult to see the drop after coming off a strong Christmas period.

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"It's hard to look at it badly, people are doing the right thing and people are staying home, we have to get to a point where people are comfortable going outside," he said.

"There are no rapid tests anywhere and people don't want to be walking around if they think they have COVID-19 so of course more people are home.

"Unfortunately we have gone into a new year but it's just the same problem in a different way."

Speaking to other retailers, Mr Agnoletto said the feelings were mutual.

"Everyone has felt it but we are just grateful for the support we do get and hopefully over the space of month it will even out and things will pick up again," he said.

"We were worried about Christmas and that took care of itself and now we just need to look at the next few weeks and months and hope they do the same, we just hope that people can stay safe and do the right thing."

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Australian retail sales increased 5.8 per cent in November 2021 compared to the same time in the previous year, and increased 19.8 per cent compared to 2019, according to figures released today from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

The Australian Retailers Association chief executive Paul Zahra said retailers overall had a strong November, but businesses were facing fresh challenges with the rising cases of Omicron.

"November was very different to what retailers are facing currently," he said.

"In November, we had record-break Black Friday sales, lockdowns had ended and consumers were confident and shopping early for Christmas.

"As Omicron has taken hold in the past few weeks, we've seen some businesses have to limit their trading hours given the number of staff in isolation, while others have had to close stores in some locations altogether."

Be.Bendigo interim chief executive Rob Stephenson said fewer people have been in the CBD over the past few weeks.

"From about the middle of last week, it has started to get very quiet and the numbers of people in the street have started to drop off," he said.

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"At the moment retailers are particularly doing it pretty tough."

Mr Stephenson said local retailers were dealing with a combination of staff shortages and a lack in consumer confidence.

"There are some issues at the moment and there is that lack of confidence, if there were rapid tests were available, and people could know if they were safe, I would suspect we would see more people about but I haven't seen it busy at all in Bendigo.

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"The only people that we are really seeing at retail is people going to the chemist to chemist trying to find a rapid test."

Mr Stephenson said many retailers were finding it tough seeing the drop in sales after a strong Christmas period.

"I think it going to be problematic," he said.

"I think there was a bit of excitement going through that Christmas period that some of the financial concerns were starting to fade and now theft are back on the agenda now.

"Businesses are now mentally staring down the third year of this pandemic and it's difficult."

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