Rugby World Cup visitors impact retail spending

Overseas visitors attending the Rugby World Cup contributed to increased retail sales in the September 2011 quarter, Statistics New Zealand said today.

After adjusting for seasonal effects, the volume of sales rose 2.2 percent – the largest quarterly increase since December 2006.

“The increase in sales volumes coincided with the arrival of 80,000 overseas visitors, here for the Rugby World Cup,” industry and labour statistics manager Louise Holmes-Oliver said.

More was sold in almost all 15 retail industries in the September quarter, with supermarket and grocery stores (up 3.8 percent) and the accommodation industry (up 6.5 percent) leading the way. Furniture and floor coverings was the only industry to record a significant fall (down 6.0 percent).

The value of total retail sales rose 2.1 percent. Again supermarket and grocery stores led the increase as shoppers spent $4.4 billion in the September quarter – up $176 million or 4.1 percent on the previous quarter.

The South Island experienced its largest increase in sales values since this series began in 2003, up 3.6 percent. Both Canterbury and the remainder of the South Island showed large rises. Sales in the North Island also grew strongly, up 2.2 percent, with two-thirds of the increase coming from Auckland.

When we look at the longer term picture, the trends for both total sales volumes and values are continuing to rise – the sales value trend is at its peak. The sales volume trend is 1.4 percent below its highest-ever point (in June 2007).