Core retail sales flat in July

Seasonally adjusted core retail sales (which exclude the four vehicle-related industries) were flat in July 2010, down just 0.1 percent ($3 million), Statistics New Zealand said today. This follows a 1.5 percent increase in June 2010.

“Sales in all five food-related industries increased, with supermarket and grocery stores recording their largest rise since March 2007,” business statistics manager Louise Holmes-Oliver said.

These increases in the food-related industries were offset by decreases in most of the other core industries. The main movements in core retail were:

• supermarket and grocery stores, up 1.9 percent ($24 million)
• cafes and restaurants, up 4.3 percent ($14 million)
• recreational goods retailing, down 7.0 percent ($14 million)
• liquor retailing, down 9.3 percent ($10 million).

Total retail sales fell 0.4 percent ($24 million) in July 2010 following a 1.0 percent ($53 million) increase in June 2010. Of the four vehicle-related industries, motor vehicle retailing had the largest decrease, down 2.3 percent ($14 million).

The sales trend for core retail has been rising since February 2010 and is now at its highest point since the series began in May 1995. The trend for total retail sales has continued rising since February 2009.

Seasonally adjusted sales in the South Island fell 0.9 percent in July 2010, while sales in the North Island were flat, down just 0.1 percent. Auckland was the only region to record an increase in sales, up 0.5 percent ($9 million).

In actual terms, total retail sales rose 2.2 percent ($116 million) in July 2010 compared with July 2009. Core retail sales rose 1.7 percent ($67 million) over the same period.