Electronics Sales Charge Up Again

For the third quarter in a row, electronics including appliances, mobile phones, and computers had the largest sales volume increase, Stats NZ said today.

Electrical and electronic goods retailing had the largest rise of all 15 industries in the December 2019 quarter. After adjusting for price and seasonal effects, the sales volume of electronics was up 4.3 percent, following a 4.4 percent rise in the September quarter.

“The rise in the latest quarter coincided with Black Friday sales promotions,” retail statistics manager Sue Chapman said.

“The four-day sales promotion starting on Black Friday through to Cyber Monday has become a popular shopping period in recent years, though retail sales typically peak in December.”

The increase in electronics helped lift the overall volume of retail sales in the December 2019 quarter, although a dip in department store and supermarket sales kept growth modest.

After adjusting for price and seasonal effects, the volume of total retail sales rose 0.7 percent, after a 1.7 percent rise in the September 2019 quarter.

In total, 9 of 15 retail industries had higher sales volumes in the December 2019 quarter.

The second-largest increase was in pharmaceutical and other store-based retailing, up 4.1 percent following a 2.8 percent rise in the September quarter. This industry includes sales from chemists, health supplement stores, duty-free stores, pet shops, and stationery goods outlets.

Department stores had the largest fall, down 3.8 percent this quarter after a 3.8 percent rise in the September quarter.

Supermarket and grocery stores had the second-largest fall, down 1.1 percent, after a 0.9 percent rise in the September quarter.

“The falling sales volumes in the largest retail industry, supermarket and grocery stores, coincided with lower prices for fruit and vegetables in the December quarter,” Ms Chapman said.

See

Consumers price index: December 2019 quarter

for more detail on changes in the prices of goods and services.

Sales values lifted by pharmacies and accommodation

When the effects of price changes are included, the seasonally adjusted value of total retail sales rose 1.1 percent ($268 million) in the December 2019 quarter, after a 1.4 percent ($331 million) rise in the September 2019 quarter.

Sales value rose 3.7 percent ($56 million) for pharmaceutical and other store-based retailing, and 4.3 percent ($46 million) for accommodation in the December 2019 quarter.

In actual terms, the value of total retail sales was $27.2 billion in the December 2019 quarter, up 3.4 percent ($886 million) on the December 2018 quarter.

For more information about these statistics:
 

• Visit Retail trade survey: December 2019 quarter
• See CSV files for download

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