Estimated retail sales for last month are three times better than economists predicted.
Statistics New Zealand expects the figure to be 1.5 per cent higher than July.
The retail sales indicator showed seasonally adjusted sales for August of $3.684 billion, said Deputy Government Statistician Ian Ewing.
The average forecast of nine economists polled by Reuters was for no change in retail sales from July, with the expectations ranging between a 1.3 per cent drop in sales to 0.5 per cent growth.
August sales excluding motor vehicle sales and servicing store-types were $2.6 billion, a seasonally adjusted increase of 0.7 per cent on July, Mr Ewing said.
The retail indicator is an experimental series compiled by Statistics New Zealand from early responses to its more detailed retail trade survey.
It warned that the final figures might vary considerably from the preliminary figures.
For August, survey responses made up 77 per cent of the indicator's value.
The other 23 per cent was sales estimates for retailers who had not responded by Wednesday.
These estimates were based on the sales of other similar-sized retailers in similar activities and locations, Mr Ewing said.
Final retail sales statistics for last month, including detailed store-type analysis, would be given on October 5.
- NZPA
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