Local online spending down against NZ trend

Wanganui residents are spending less online - bucking a national trend in online shopping growth.

The BNZ Marketview report for December showed a 10.6 per cent decrease in online shopping from December 2013 by Wanganui residents. Spending on domestic sites was down 23.3 per cent, while spending on overseas sites was up 19.3 per cent.

Nationally, online spending was up 12 per cent from December 2013.

Therese Zimmerman has run her online gift business, The Paper Package, from her Wanganui home for a few years. She believed people had become quite comfortable buying online.

"Buying online is a normal thing now - but I don't get many customers from Wanganui," she said.

"A lot of my customers are from other parts of the country or overseas ... perhaps a family who have gone to Australia and want to send a birthday gift to someone in New Zealand."

The 24-hour availability of the website made it easier for customers.

"It means you don't have to worry about getting to the shop on time. Often when I check the website in the morning, I have quite a few orders from New Zealanders and people overseas."