10 Dec 2015

Retail spending up slightly in November

1:47 pm on 10 December 2015

Retail spending has nudged up, with consumers swiping their cards more often.

Eftpos machine

Eftpos machine Photo: 123rf

Official figures show spending using debit, credit and charge cards, rose a seasonally-adjusted 0.3 percent in November, after a flat result the month before.

Consumers spent more at bars, restaurants and cafes, and opened their wallets for new clothes and shoes.

But spending on items for the home fell.

Core retail spending, which excludes vehicle related industries, 0.4 percent, after a slight rise in October.

Electronic payments company Paymark said the value of the transactions jumped 7 percent in the first week of December, compared with last year.

Meanwhile, data on accommodation - or national guest nights - fell to a seasonally-adjusted -0.1 percent, following a 2 percent rise in September.

The survey collects data for guests staying in hotels, motels, backpacker accommodation and holiday parks in New Zealand each month.