January retail sales pulled down by motor vehicles

In January 2009 seasonally adjusted total retail sales fell 1.1 percent ($62 million), Statistics New Zealand said today. The fall was dominated by decreases in vehicle-related industries, with motor vehicle retailing down 11.0 percent ($66 million) and automotive fuel retailing down 2.6 percent ($14 million). Sales trends in both of these industries are in decline.

The trend in total retail sales has been declining since January 2008 and has fallen 2.9 percent since then. Since August 2008, the rate of decline has increased to a monthly average of 0.4 percent.

Seasonally adjusted sales in core retailing, which excludes the four vehicle-related industries, rose 0.3 percent ($13 million) in January 2009. The biggest rises were in supermarket and grocery store sales, up 1.7 percent ($20 million), and recreational goods retailing, up 5.2 percent ($10 million). The biggest fall was in appliance retailing sales, down 6.6 percent ($14 million).

The trend in core retailing continues to rise, but since April 2007 the rate of increase has flattened to a monthly average of 0.1 percent.

In January 2009 seasonally adjusted sales in two-thirds of the 24 industries surveyed have increased or decreased by less than $5 million.

Among the regions, sales decreases were recorded in the North Island regions and increases were recorded in the South Island regions.