Growth in the retail and hospitality sectors in Christchurch is outpacing that of the rest of New Zealand.

In the June 2014 quarter there was an increase of 1.4 per cent in retail and hospitality sales, after seasonal fluctuations were removed, reported Statistics NZ.

The comparable increase across NZ for the same period was 1.0 per cent.

Specifically, retail sales rose 1.3 per cent in the June quarter, and hospitality sales 1.7 per cent.

In actual terms retail and hospitality sales in Christchurch were 6.4 per cent higher compared with the same quarter a year ago.

Retail and hospitality sales in Christchurch have risen 24 per cent since June 2010, immediately prior to the earthquakes. The nationwide increase for the same period is 16 per cent.

“The increased spending for both retail and hospitality businesses pushed Christchurch’s growth in these industries further ahead of the rest of the country,” business indicators manager Neil Kelly said.