Retail Watch October 2016
Value of electronic card transactions within retail categories Period ending 28 / 10 / 2016
Total retail spend in New Zealand for the 28 days ending 28 October 2016 was $3.5 billion. This is an increase of 3.3% compared to the previous month and an increase of 2.0% compared to the same period last year. The greatest increases in month on month spend were in Home & Building Supplies (+12.4%), Recreation & Entertainment (+10.4%) and Clothing & Footwear (+8.9%).
The Recreation & Entertainment category also had the greatest increase in year on year spend, up 16.4%. Travel & Accommodation had the greatest decrease in spend when compared to the previous month, down 10.5%, while year on year spend for this category increased by 3.2%. Other categories with an increase in spend when compared to the same period last year include Cafés, Restaurants & Bars (+5.8%), Liquor Stores (+3.9%) and Home & Building Supplies (+2.7%). Decreases in year on year spend were seen in the Books & Stationery Stores (-5.1%), Fuel & Service Stations (-3.9%), Department Stores (-2.7%) and Furniture, Appliances & Electronics (-0.7%) categories
Quarterly summary October 2016
The total quarterly retail spend for the 91 days ending 28 October 2016 was $11.2 billion. There is no change in spend when compared to the previous quarter and an increase in spend of 2.3% when compared to the same period last year.
When compared to the previous quarter, spend increased the most in the Home & Building Supplies (+10.1%) and Recreation & Entertainment (+4.0%) categories. The greatest decreases in spend when compared to the previous quarter were in Clothing & Footwear (-9.4%) and Department Stores (-7.1%).
Increases in spend when compared to the same quarter last year were led by Recreation & Entertainment (+10.8%), Cafés, Restaurants & Bars (+7.0%) and Travel & Accommodation (+5.4%). Fuel & Service Stations (-6.1%), Books & Stationery Stores (-5.5%) and Department Stores (-0.7%) were the only categories where spend decreased when compared to the same quarter last year.