Official figures show a slump in motor vehicle and fuel sales helped to pull down retail sales by 1.3% in October.
Excluding a fall of 14.5% in motor vehicle sales and other motor vehicle-related areas, Statistics New Zealand says retail sales rose by 0.8% during the month.
Sales of appliances rose 7.6%, accommodation was up 5.3%, and clothing and softgoods 5.5%.
Retail sales fell overall in the North Island. They were unchanged in the South Island.
