96% of retailers 'back to trading as normal'

10:13 pm on 17 September 2010

The largest Eftpos company says 96% of the 9000 Canterbury retailers it services are back to trading as normal.

Paymark says getting homes and businesses back up and running has taken top priority.

It says sales of building supplies and home appliances soared in Canterbury in the week after the earthquake, with the former up 11% the latter up 16% compared with the same time last year.

Paymark estimates, however, that its customers in Canterbury lost $6 million in sales on the day of the quake and another $9 million in the following week. Nearly a third of its customers using Eftpos terminals were affected by the quake.

Cantabrians are choosing to stay at home, with cinema sales down 94%; video shop sales, however, are up 63%.