Pets popular purchase as December spending up

Fish, rabbits and guinea pigs were in hot demand during Christmas with Wairarapa shoppers, as retail spending recorded a December lift.

Retailers nationwide enjoyed a surge in sales during the Christmas period, with pet stores in particular noticing an increase in trade.

Figures released by Paymark, which processes about 75 per cent of New Zealand's electronic card transactions, showed Wairarapa consumers spent $44.1 million during December, a 1.9 per cent year-on-year increase.

Pet stores nationwide enjoyed a 7.5 per cent surge in activity, with families welcoming new pets for Christmas, or buying treats for furry friends.

Masterton Seed & Pet Shop owner Tracey Cooper was yet to crunch the numbers but said the store had experienced a rise in spending on previous years.

"I don't know percentages but definitely, turnover was up," Ms Cooper said.

The most popular items were fish, rabbits and guinea pigs.

"I think people are just finding that they're easier pets to look after than your traditional kittens, puppies, that sort of thing," Ms Cooper said.

And while things had quietened since Christmas, trade had been steady coming into the new year.

Nationally, year-on-year spending increases during December were highest at appliance stores (up 10.3 per cent) and hardware stores (up 9.2 per cent).

The festive spirit was evident in a 7.1 per cent spending jump at cafes and restaurants, an 8 per cent jump at liquor retailers and a 6.3 per cent rise at department stores.

NZ Retailers Association chief executive John Albertson said December was in line with retailers' expectations.

"Obviously, retailers get reasonably optimistic ... you think that maybe this year will be better than expectations," Mr Albertson said.

Although retailers were not predicting 2013 to be an easy year, there were signs the market was improving.

Spending in December was up nationwide for the third month in a row, but did not post a significant jump. Paymark's seasonally adjusted total spend rose 0.5 per cent from November to December.

Paymark spokesman Paul Whiston said that, despite the pre-Christmas splurge, the December spending increase remained below average, at 2.3 per cent year-on-year.

However, when adjusted for seasonal fluctuations it was a more positive 4.3 per cent.

While it was still tough going for some retailers, the seasonally adjusted numbers reflected an encouraging finish to 2012, which included a 13.4 per cent lift on Boxing Day sales for retailers. APNZ