Strong sales volumes dominated by motor vehicle retailing

The seasonally adjusted volume of total retail sales rose 1.3 percent in the June 2010 quarter, Statistics New Zealand said today. “This is the fifth consecutive quarterly increase in sales volumes,” business statistics manager Louise Holmes-Oliver said, “and the largest recorded since the March 2007 quarter.”

This quarter’s increase in sales volumes was dominated by a 4.0 percent increase in motor vehicle retailing, and a 3.4 percent increase in appliance retailing. Core retail (which excludes the four vehicle-related industries) rose 0.9 percent.

The seasonally adjusted total retail sales values rose a lesser 0.5 percent ($83 million), as the increase in volumes was partly offset by price decreases. As with volumes, motor vehicle retailing also led the increase in sales values (up 3.6 percent or $62 million), while automotive fuel retailing had the largest fall (down 2.4 percent or $40 million).

Supermarket and grocery stores (up 0.9 percent or $36 million), and accommodation (up 4.8 percent or $32 million) were the two core retail industries contributing the most to the 0.4 percent ($51 million) rise in core retail sales values.

In the June 2010 quarter compared with the June 2009 quarter, the volume of actual retail sales was $13.4 billion, up 2.8 percent; and the value of actual retail sales was $16.1 billion, up 2.7 percent.

In the June 2010 month, seasonally adjusted total retail sales values increased 0.9 percent ($52 million) compared with May 2010. The June month’s increase was driven by core retail, up 1.5 percent ($61 million), with 14 of the 20 core retail industries recording increases. The total retail sales trend has been rising since February 2009, although the rate of growth has flattened in recent months.

For more information on quarterly and monthly sales movements, please see the Hot Off the Press information release.

Geoff Bascand 13 August 2010

Government Statistician