New Zealand online retail sales in August surged as another wave of lockdowns took effect. 

According to BNZ Marketview, which tracks online spending month by month, online sales surged 27.1 per cent year on year in August, and by 23.8 per cent month on month. For the August quarter, spending was up 14.2 per cent.

Furniture, housewares and hardwares sector accounted for the highest growth, recording a 93-per-cent increase year on year. Other categories, such as fashion, groceries and liquor, and electronic goods, surged by between 20 and 36 per cent. 

While online spending at domestic sites increased by 50.8 per cent, at the international sites, spending fell 6.2 per cent year on year.