Retail sales up in September

Monday 15th November 2010

The value of total retail sales for the September quarter rose 0.8% ($133 million), total retail sales volume rose 0.7% and core retail sales value and volume both rose 0.9%, according to the latest Statistics New Zealand Retail Trade Survey.

"This quarterly rise is mostly due to increased sales in the September month, particularly in furniture and floor coverings," said Statistics New Zealand's Louise Holmes-Oliver.

"It's likely this reflects spending timed to beat the GST rise."

The latest quarter's increase follows a 0.5% ($82 million) increase in the June quarter. Total retail sales have increased every quarter since the March 2009 quarter.

The increase in total retail sales was led by core retail (which excludes the four vehicle-related industries). Core sales rose 0.9% ($110 million) following a 0.5% ($60 million) rise in the June quarter.

Fifteen of the 24 retail industries saw sales rises, including 12 of the 20 in core retail.

The biggest increases were seen in supermarket and grocery stores (up 1.5%, $57 million), automotive repair and services (up 6.9%, $37 million), motor vehicle retailing (up 1.5%, $28 million) and furniture and floor coverings (up 6.1%, $20 million).

The biggest falls were seen in automotive fuel retailing (down 2.8%, $47 million), bars and clubs (down 5.8%, $17 million) and liquor retailing (down 4.7%, $14 million).

Appliance retailing, which rose 4.3% in the September quarter, was by far the largest contributor to the overall rise in sales volume. Appliance retailing has been the biggest contributor to the rise in sales volume in four of the last six quarters, and was the second-biggest contributor in the June quarter.

The trend in total retail sales values has been rising since March 2009, and has risen 4.1% since then. The trend fell 2.6% from the March 2008 quarter to the March 2009 quarter, but is now 1.5% higher than the March 2008 level.

The trend in core retail sales values has generally been rising since the beginning of the series in September 1995. The quarterly rate of increase flattened out at the end of 2009 but is picking up again.

Compared to the September 2009 quarter the value of actual retail sales was $16.3 billion, up 3%, and the volume of actual retail sales, expressed in September 1995 quarter prices, was $13.6 billion, up 3.6%.

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