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Retail spending through electronic card transactions (ECT) fell for the third consecutive month in January.
Figures published today by Statistics New Zealand (SNZ) show ECT spending in the retail industries fell by a seasonally adjusted 0.6 per cent last month, led by falls in the fuel retailing and durables industries.
Despite the retail industries fall, overall the seasonally adjusted ECT value was unchanged last month compared to December, following two months of decreases.
While most industry groups showed lower sales in January, in the overall series those were offset by increases in the non-retail and consumables industries.
The core retail series, which excludes the motor vehicle-related industries, was down 0.2 per cent in January, following a similar sized fall in December.
- NZPA
