-
Retail sales down 2.5pc in October
The value of total retail sales fell 2.5 per cent, or $137 million in October, following a 1.7 per cent rise the month before. Statistics NZ says the seasonally adjusted figures were down in part due to higher pre-GST increase spending in September. Retailers hoping to hear news of the current Christmas retail season will get some provisional data this afternoon, when eft-pos company Paymark releases spending figures for the first week of December. Stats NZ business statistics manager Louise Holmes-Oliver said the October retail sales took a dip after increased spending in September, which was timed to beat the GST ... (full story)