In-store spend up, online down

Kiwis ended 2020 on a strong note with a total retail spend for December of $6.1 billion, 2.3% higher than December the previous year. Figures from Datamine show that in the lead up to the holiday period, New Zealanders spent $620 million more than in November.

The figures also suggested that New Zealanders are supporting local by opting to spend in person rather than online.

In-store spend, at $5.4 billion, has grown 13.4% since last month and 4% compared with December 2019. As in previous months, online spend has continued to show negative growth compared to the same month last year, particularly spend at overseas companies, which is down 21.6%.

With a 48% drop in Travel and Accommodation spend, compared to December 2019, New Zealanders instead have spent money on:

Liquor Stores (18.6% year-on-year increase),
Furniture, Appliances and Homewares (15.1% year-on-year increase),
Health Goods and Services (13.1% year-on-year increase),
Clothing and Footwear (11.1% year-on-year increase)

(Datamine requires a log-in to see the full report)