Hospitality hot again in October

Hospitality hot again in October – Media release

9 November 2016

Shoppers continued to spend more in restaurants, takeaway shops, and on accommodation in October, Statistics New Zealand said today.

Total retail spending using electronic cards was $5.1 billion in October 2016, up $205 million (4.2 percent) from October 2015. The largest increase came from the hospitality industry, up $124 million (15 percent).

"The higher hospitality spending coincides with a period of rising international tourism in New Zealand, record levels of migration, and an eight-year low in unemployment," business indicators manager Tehseen Islam said.

When adjusted for seasonal effects, retail spending rose 0.6 percent from September 2016. This follows a 2.0 percent rise in September 2016.

Seasonally adjusted card spending rose in five of the six retail industries. The largest rises in October 2016 were:

• consumables, up $15 million (0.8 percent)

• hospitality, up $10 million (1.1 percent).

The consumables industry includes supermarket and grocery stores, specialised food, and liquor. The hospitality industry includes accommodation, bars, cafés and restaurants, and takeaway retailing.

Core retail spending (which excludes the vehicle-related industries) rose 0.3 percent in October 2016, after a 2.3 percent rise in September.

The total value of electronic card spending, including the two non-retail industries (services, and other non-retail), was up 0.6 percent in October. This follows a 2.1 percent rise in September 2016.

Trends for the total, retail, and core retail series have generally been rising since these series began in October 2002.

Values are only available at the national level, and are not adjusted for price changes.

Ends

For more information about these statistics:

• Visit Electronic Card Transactions: October 2016

• Open the attached files

ectoct16tables.xlsx

ElectronicCardTransactionsOct16.pdf

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