NZ core retail spending on credit, debit rises in July, on gains in durables, apparel and consumables
By Suze Metherell
Aug. 11 (BusinessDesk) - New Zealand core retail spending on debit and credit cards rose in July as increased spending
on durables, apparel and consumables offset a dip in hospitality spending.
The value of core retail spending on electronic cards, which excludes fuel and auto-related purchases, rose a seasonally
adjusted 0.5 percent, from a restated 0.3 decline in June and a 1 percent gain in May, Statistics New Zealand said.
Including auto-related purchases, retail spending was unchanged following a static figure in June, and a 1.2 percent
increase in May. Total spending, which includes non-retail industries and services, fell 0.1 percent, following a 0.5
gain in June.
The data comes after the ANZ-Roy Morgan consumer confidence index rose to 132.7 in July, from 131.9 in June, extending a
rebound from a six-month low of 127.6 in May, supported by an improving labour market and the impact of a high kiwi
dollar on import prices. Today's electronic card figures show spending on durables rose 0.9 percent in July, after a
fall of 0.7 percent in June.
Apparel advanced 1.7 percent from a restated 0.2 percent drop the previous month, while consumables increased 0.3
percent having slipped a restated 0.2 percent in June. Hospitality declined 0.6 percent in July.
The unadjusted value of spending on electronic cards rose 4.8 percent to $6.03 billion in July from a year earlier, with
an average spend per transaction of $51. About 56 percent of transactions were on debit cards with the the remainder on
credit cards.
(BusinessDesk)