Consumers spent less on motor-vehicles and parts, and more on electronics and appliances, in the March 2018 quarter, Stats NZ said today.

Retail card spending fell 2.2 per cent in April 2018, following a rise in March, when adjusted for seasonal effects, Stats NZ said today.

Mazda claimed the top spot in passenger sales in New Zealand for April.

There were 828 used imported commercial vehicles sold last month, an 8.8 per cent decrease compared to April 2017, when 908 vehicles were registered.

April was the worst month since February 2015 for registrations of used imported cars in New Zealand.

The sales of Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) continued to provide strong momentum to Australia’s new car market last month, with total April sales down slightly on last year but year-to-date sales running 3.3 per cent ahead of 2017.

David Crawford, Chief Executive Officer of the Motor Industry Association says “April new vehicle registrations of 10,423 vehicles were down 2 per cent (212 units) in April 2017 reflecting a stable market. Year to date the market is marginally up by 1.4 per cent (704 units) compared to the first four months of 2017.”

Annual net migration was down 4,400 from a record level of 72,400 in the July 2017 year, but still remains high by historical standards, Stats NZ said today.