Consumers' plastic cards saw less of the light of day last month, with electronic card transactions in the retail sector falling a seasonally adjusted 0.5 per cent from December.

The chances of GST being applied to all overseas web-based retail purchases appear more distant after the Govt changed tack on a review into tax of online shopping.

Shares in lightbulb maker Energy Mad surged after it announced it had begun selling its energy-efficient products online in the United States through internet retail giant Amazon.

So-called "showrooming" and "click and collect" will be two major retail trends in 2014, according to an industry commentator.

An advertiser has been ordered to remove online claims that magnetic wrist and ankle bands have therapeutic benefits including relieving tension and purifying blood.

Eftpos transactions reached record highs today as Kiwi shoppers, filled with "Christmas spirit'', packed out stores around the country.

Today's final rush to complete pre-Christmas shopping will also complete a highly successful period for retailers.

Paymark figures show shoppers spending up large as malls brace for last-minute Christmas splurge.

Boxing Day sales are a magnet for `sport shoppers' with new apps seeking to fuel their competitive streak.

Businesses are smiling, frazzled customers are queuing and there are still nine more days of shopping to go.

Guys, do you plan to propose to your loved one on Christmas Day?

A DIY approach to gift baskets will save you money this Christmas, writes Susan Edmunds.

Three inexpensive sunscreens sold in supermarkets have come out tops in Consumer NZ testing.

Di Humphries is the fresh face in charge of children's clothing retailer Pumpkin Patch.

Shoppers descended on malls all over the country yesterday as the Christmas rush began.

Wal-Mart Stores is ushering in a changing of the guard as the world's largest retailer confronts slower growth and challenges to its reputation.

A controversial new Bunnings store on Great North Rd in Grey Lynn, Auckland, has been approved.

Online portal open all hours puts buyers close-up in front of works throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

Kathmandu shares soared to an all-time high yesterday after the company reported a record annual result.

A nine-level $100m development will soon rise on a yawning chasm behind Ponsonby Rd in one of the biggest projects by Progressive Enterprises.

Retailers in Auckland boutique premier shopping zone High St are worried about possible street changes.

Culture - it's a word that can be filled with meaning or thrown about in a way that means nothing at all.

Consumers turned out in force in the June quarter, with core retail sales rising 2.3 per cent in real terms, the fastest clip since September 2011.

JB Hi-Fi has defied a difficult trading environment to lift sales and profit, and expects the trend to continue for the next 12 months.

Luxury retailer Saks has agreed to sell itself to Hudson's Bay Co, the Canadian parent of upscale retailer Lord & Taylor, for about US$2.4 billion.

Retail spending charged to electronic cards rose 1.1 per cent last month, seasonally adjusted, the largest monthly increase since August last year.

Michael Hill International has become the latest NZX-listed retailer to flag difficult trading conditions in Australia.

The Warehouse has expanded its online presence through its fifth acquisition in nine months.

British American Tobacco Holdings New Zealand's profit was down almost 5 per cent in 2012.