The amount spent in electronic card transactions was flat last month, with falls in most retail categories offset by a 2.3 percent rise in non-retail industries such as travel and health.Statistics New Zealand (SNZ) figures out today show a seasonally adj
The amount spent in electronic card transactions was flat last month, with falls in most retail categories offset by a 2.3 percent rise in non-retail industries such as travel and health.
Statistics New Zealand (SNZ) figures out today show a seasonally adjusted rise of just 0.1 percent in total electronic card transactions in August compared to July.
For the retail industries only, transactions slipped 0.2 percent. A decline of the same size was recorded for the core retail category, which excludes vehicle-related industries.
Some economists had been expecting solid gains in the August figures, anticipating a rise in consumer activity before GST is lifted on October 1.
But today's figures show decreases in the retail and core retail sectors were led by a 1.1 percent fall in the durable sector, including furniture, hardware and appliances, and a 0.6 percent fall in consumables such as food, liquor and chemist sales.
The actual value of transactions in the core retail series was up 2.1 percent from a year ago, SNZ said.
