Fuel spending down

Consumers spent less on fuel but more on core shop sales (which excludes the vehicle-related industries), leaving overall retail spending flat in the September 2017, Stats NZ said today. This is compared with a 0.6 per cent rise in the June quarter, after adjusting for seasonal effects. Electronic card spending on fuel in the September 2017 quarter fell $129 million, or 7.1 per cent. "This drop in fuel spending coincided with lower fuel prices at the beginning of the quarter," retail manager Sue Chapman said. Spending rose in five of the six retail industries in the September quarter. Core retail spending rose 0.9 per cent in the September 2017 quarter, after a 1.1 per cent rise in the June 2017 quarter. Actual retail spending using electronic cards was $14.7 billion in the September 2017 quarter, up $437 million (3.1 percent) from the September 2016 quarter. Spending fell in four of the six retail industries in September. The largest movements came from sales of goods including appliances and furniture (durables), down $15 million or 1.2 percent, offset by grocery and liquor sales (consumables), up $15 million or 0.8 percent. “We can’t draw any firm conclusions about the impact of the general election on electronic card spending in September,” Chapman said.