Slower sales growth for retailers in June quarter

Slower sales growth for retailers in June quarter – Media release

Retail sales growth eased in the June 2015 quarter after big gains in recent quarters, Statistics New Zealand said today.

The total sales value was $18.9 billion in the June 2015 quarter, 4.1 percent ($749 million) more than in the June 2014 quarter. This follows a 5.1 percent ($932 million) increase in the March 2015 quarter.

After removing the effect of price changes, the total retail sales volume rose 5.9 percent in the June quarter, when compared with the same quarter last year.

When adjusting for seasonal effects, the volume of total retail sales rose just 0.1 percent for the June 2015 quarter. This modest increase follows larger rises of 2.3 percent in the March 2015 quarter, and 2.1 percent in the December 2014 quarter.

“Although just over half the industries had sales volume increases this quarter, they were modest in size compared with growth in recent quarters," business indicators manager Neil Kelly said.

The largest seasonally adjusted sales volume increase was in non-store and commission-based retailing, up 8.1 percent. This industry includes businesses that are mainly engaged in selling online without a shop-front or physical shop presence. The largest sales volume decrease was in fuel retailing, down 0.9
percent.

When the effect of price changes is included, the seasonally adjusted total value of retail sales rose 0.1 percent ($25 million). This follows a 1.5 percent ($294 million) increase in the March 2015 quarter.

Looking at the longer-term picture, the trends for both total retail sales volumes, and values, have generally been rising since mid-2009.

ENDS

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