14 March 2005
Fuel Continues to Drive Retail Sales
Seasonally adjusted total retail sales increased 1.3 percent in January 2005 compared with December 2004, Statistics New
Zealand said today. This is the largest monthly increase since June 2004, and follows a decrease of 0.3 percent in
December 2004 and an increase of 0.8 percent in November 2004. Automotive fuel retailing made the largest dollar value
contribution to the rise. Fourteen of the 24 retail storetypes recorded higher seasonally adjusted sales for the month.
Automotive fuel retailing was up $30 million, almost half of the total monthly increase. It was followed by supermarket
and grocery stores (up $12 million). Cafes and restaurants recorded the largest monthly decrease (down $9 million).
Excluding the motor vehicle-related industries, seasonally adjusted retail sales were 1.1 percent higher in January 2005
than in the previous month.
The total retail sales trend has had an average annual increase of 7.3 percent over the past six years. Continuing its
steady increase since May 1998, the trend was up 0.4 percent in January 2005 from December 2004. On a regional basis,
the trends for the total North Island and total South Island increased 0.3 percent and 0.5 percent, respectively.
The underlying sales trend for Auckland has been flat over the past five months. Total actual retail sales for January
2005 were $4,625 million, which was 4.5 percent higher than in January 2004.
Brian Pink
Government Statistician
ENDS