Christchurch city’s retail and hospitality spending reached $2 billion for the first time, according to Statistics New Zealand.

Retail and hospitality sales in Christchurch for the December 2014 quarter were $2 billion, a 4.1 per cent increase compared with the same quarter in 2013. This compares with an increase of 4.7 per cent at the national level.

For Christchurch city, after seasonal fluctuations are removed, retail and hospitality sales increased 1.1 per cent in the December 2014 quarter, compared with an increase of 1.6 per cent at the national level.

“Robust spending in hospitality businesses have contributed to the city’s total growth this December quarter,” business indicators manager, Neil Kelly, said.

Looking at the longer term picture, the trend for retail and hospitality sales in Christchurch has risen 26 percent since the June 2010 quarter (before the quakes began). This compares with a 19 per cent rise at the national level.

The Christchurch retail trade indicator series is an experimental series that measures activity in the retail and hospitality industries. Statistics NZ releases it to provide information on the state of these industries after the Canterbury earthquakes that began in September 2010.