Electronic retail sales didn’t hit the highs of last week, but are still trending in the right direction, according to BNZ’s weekly MarketView report.
For the week ending February 8, retail spending on cards in New Zealand was up 1.6 per cent over the same week last year.
Store types with the largest rises for the week were travel agents, up 7.1 per cent, and books and stationery, up 6.3 per cent.
The Waitangi Day public holiday and long weekend saw a spike in spending, with consumers charging 3.8 per cent more to their cards over Waitangi Day last year, which fell on a Thursday.
Despite some prominent retailers targeting advertising and sales for the three day weekend, consumers were more interested in relaxing and socialising on Waitangi Day. There were large rises in the liquor, with spending growing 33.4 per cent; bars/cafes/restaurants, up 19.1 per cent; and takeaway, which saw 11 per cent growth compared to Waitangi Day last year.
Hardware and homeware spending was 20.4 per cent higher over the weekend; appliances retailers, up 11.3 per cent; and department stores grew 10 per cent.
