Xmas shopping surges 4.7pc in December, big days still to come

Photo / Steven McNicholl

Christmas retail spending looks to be going well, with a 4.7 per cent rise across New Zealand in the first 20 days of December, according to electronic payments company Paymark.

Paymark , which processes around 75 per cent of all electronic transactions in New Zealand this afternoon said that just under $3 billion had been spent in shops between December 1 and December 20 - an extra $133 million on the same time period in 2010.

Spending in Palmerston North was up 9 per cent from the same period last year, while South Canterbury, Southland and the Auckland/Northland regions all up.

Auckland/Northland saw retail spending increase 6.6 per cent.

Where the money was being spent had not changed much since last December, said Paymark, but some were seeing good sales increases, including sports equipment store sales up 8.4 per cent, appliance stores up 7.6 per cent and home building stores up 6.1 per cent.

Hospitality sector spending was up 5.1 per cent, while spending in bookstores, office supply stores and music/video outlets was down, as was toy store sales.

Paymark spokesman Ben Robinson says that though there had been "a pattern of steady and consistent growth in the last 20 days, retailers should be ready for a big push in the last three days of shopping."

"With only three full days of shopping to go, we'd expect to see a bumper final stretch in true Kiwi tradition. Every year we see transactions through our system peaking just after midday on Christmas Eve, but this year it may come earlier, given that Christmas day falls on a Sunday. Friday will be interesting," said Robinson.

- NZ HERALD ONLINE