A strong start to the month has Paymark is expecting a summer of high consumer spending.
Figures released by the electronic payment company show spending for the first week in December was up 8.6% on the same time last year.
Paymark says that week is usually a good indicator for the rest of the month.
The company processes 75% of electronic transactions, said spending on its network in New Zealand.
Head of customer relations Mark Spicer said spending on food and liquor had increased noticeably as people attended office parties and family gatherings.
"When we see a strong start to the December month, it generally transfers to a consistent performance through December and into the early part of January," he said.
"For the Paymark network, we'll see a peak in activity in that week before Christmas, and that is generally the day before Christmas, when all the last-minute shopping is being completed."
Card transactions on the Paymark network rose 7% in November, with credit card transactions up 13.9% and debit card transactions up 4.9%.
Retailer's Association chief executive John Albertson says consumer confidence is being buoyed by an improving economy and he expects spending to be strong for some months yet.
Hospitality New Zealand says it is also witnessing an upswing in spending.
Chief executive Bruce Robertson says people usually start bringing out their Eftpos cards for beers and flat whites as the weather improves.
