24 Mar 2014

Christchurch retail spending tops rest

12:43 pm on 24 March 2014

Spending on retail and hospitality in Christchurch was ahead of the national spend in the three months ended December.

Official figures show, retail and hospitality sales in Christchurch City rose a seasonally adjusted 3.5 percent in the December quarter, compared with a 1.2 percent rise nationally.

The Government Statistician said the city's quarterly rise is the largest since June 2011.

Looking at the longer-term picture, Statistics New Zealand said the trend for retail and hospitality sales in Christchurch has risen 20 percent since the June 2010 quarter, before the quakes began.

This compares with a rise of 14 percent at the national level.