Retail card spending in New Zealand rose slightly in July by $13 million, or 0.2 per cent, compared to June, according to data released by Stats NZ.

Spending on consumable goods increased by $14 million, a 0.5 per cent rise, with spending on apparel falling by $6.4 million, a 1.9 per cent drop. 

Motor vehicle spending was up by $10 million, a 5.2 per cent increase compared to June, and fuel spending went down slightly by $600,000, a 0.1 per cent decrease.

Stats NZ found that spending on durable goods decreased by $13 million, a 0.8 per cent decline, from June to July.

In New Zealand, 173 million transactions were made using cards this July, including retail and non-retail goods, amounting to $9.3 billion being spent.