Waikato proved welcoming
Thursday 22 June, 2017
Another Lions game and more cause for celebration – or commiseration. Whatever the motive, spending through Paymark in
Waikato increased amongst merchants such as bars, clubs and cafes to $2.2 million between 9am Monday and 9am Wednesday.
This was $740,000 higher than experienced on average during the same days and hours of the first four weeks of May – up
51%.
The spending increase was noticeable from around midday on Tuesday (the day of the game) and went through to 6am the
next morning. An extra $250,000 spending occurred in the 3 hours between 4pm and 7pm (before the game) and an extra
$108,000 occurred between 10pm and 1am (after the game).
As has been the pattern around other regional games, there was also increased spending amongst local merchant sectors
such as taxis, liquor stores and fast food outlets on the day of the game, which were smaller in total than the
hospitality effect reported above, but other merchants had mixed experiences, in part due to influences beyond the Lions
tour. Increases were reported amongst used car dealers, chemists, hardware stores and auto repairs/parts providers,
relative to the May average for Tuesday. Spending declines occurred amongst appliance and furniture stores, clothing
shops, supermarkets, petrol stations and government bodies.
In total, spending through Paymark in Waikato was $12.0 million on Tuesday, up $1.1 million or 9.9% on an average
Tuesday in May.
While Paymark processes a large proportion of card payments, spending associated with the Lions tour will also be
transacted with cash and a large proportion of spending is likely to have been prepaid, including tickets to the game
and accommodation. The Paymark figures provide an insightful indication of spending patterns but do not provide a
complete measure of spending associated with each Lions’ game. Also, Paymark does not record who made the payment to any
merchant and hence spending changes are linked to the Lions’ games by inference only.
ENDS