Card spending has fallen across most retail industries in July bringing the total spending down to 0.1 per cent compared with June, according to Statistics NZ.

Retail card spending has been flat for most of 2019, dipping 0.1 per cent in July, when adjusted for seasonal effects.

Compared with June, spending fell across most retail industries. The only increase came from the fuel industry, which was up $15 million 2.7 per cent.

Sue Chapman, retail statistics manager, said the increase would likely have been due to higher fuel prices at the pump.

The biggest decline in July was seen in durables (hardware, appliances, department stores, and pharmaceuticals) and apparel (clothing, footwear and accessories).

Durables fell 0.9 per cent to $11 million and apparel fell 3.2 per cent to $10 million.

Core retail spending (excluding vehicle-related industries) fell 0.5 per cent in July, after a 0.3 per cent rise in June.

The total value of electronic card spending, including the two non-retail categories (services and non-retail), fell 0.3 per cent in July, following no change in June 2019. The non-retail category includes travel, health, and wholesaling.

In actual terms, retail spending using electronic cards was up 1.6 per cent to $5.2 billion, compared to the $84 million from July 2018.