The latest Paymark data shows that regional New Zealand, not the big cities, has been the biggest beneficiary from the rise in consumer confidence and spending following the move to Level 1.

Electronic card spending in Manawatū rose 7.4 per cent in the week of June 8-14, the first week of Level 1, compared to the same week in 2019. And non-supermarket, pharmacy and liquor spending in the region, was up 6 per cent week-on-week.

At the same time, spending on these categories was down 7 per cent in Auckland.

“The real story of consumer spending confidence isn’t in the big cities, it’s in the regions,” said Linda Stewart, CEO of the Central Economic Development Agency (CEDA), in a statement.

“This can be explained in Manawatū’s economic fundamentals. The primary industries are our economic backbone and related exports remain solid. Manawatū is the second home of government underpinned by research, education, health and of course, the Defence Force.

“Manawatū also has billions of dollars of planned infrastructure that’s either underway, due to start, or likely to be accelerated. Simply put, our diversified economy positions us well for recovery and we are an attractive investment destination.”

For the country overall, spending was up 1 per cent year on year in the week of June 8-14, and up 3.3 per cent on the previous week.