21.05.201920:43:00UTC+00New Zealand Retail Sales Volume Gains 0.7% In Q1

The total volume of retail sales in New Zealand was up a seasonally adjusted 0.7 percent on quarter in the first three months of 2019, Statistics New Zealand said on Wednesday - exceeding forecasts for a rise of 0.6 percent following the 1.7 percent jump in the three months prior.

The total value of retail sales rose 0.2 percent on quarter (NZ$43 million).

The largest increases in volume were in department stores (up 4.4 percent) and hardware, building, and garden supplies (up 3.0 percent). The largest fall in volume sales was in pharmaceutical and other store-based retailing, down 5.7 percent.