9 Dec 2009

Retail spending up but customers still cautious

12:21 pm on 9 December 2009

Spending using electronic cards increased in November, but shoppers are still cautious about parting with their money.

Statistics New Zealand says electronic transactions for core retail groups, which excludes motor vehicle-related industries, rose a seasonally adjusted 0.3%, to $3.15 billion in November.

That follows a fall of 0.4% in October.

Transactions across all sectors rose a seasonally adjusted 0.7%, driven by fuel and apparel retailing.

ASB chief economist Nick Tuffley says spending is increasing modestly, but consumers remain cautious.