New Zealand Retail Sales Beat Expectations in Q1

Retail sales in New Zealand rose 1.9% quarter-on-quarter in the three months to September 2025, rising from a 0.5% increase in the June quarter but exceeding market expectations of a 0.6% gain. Adjusted for price and seasonal effects, 8 of the 15 retail industries recorded higher sales volumes compared with the June 2025 quarter. The largest contributions came from electrical and electronic goods, which jumped 9.8%, followed by motor vehicle and parts retailing at 7.2%, and food and beverage services at 1.6%. On the other hand, supermarket and grocery stores, clothing, footwear and personal accessories, and fuel retailing posted the sharpest declines. From a regional perspective, retail sales in the South Island increased by 1.7%, while sales in the North Island increased by 1.4%. On an annual basis, total retail sales climbed 4.5% in Q3, accelerating from the 2.3% gain recorded in Q2.

Retail sales in New Zealand rose 0.5% quarter-on-quarter in the three months to June 2025, easing from a 0.8% increase in the first quarter but exceeding market expectations of a 0.2% gain. Adjusted for price and seasonal effects, 8 of the 15 retail industries recorded higher sales volumes compared with the March 2025 quarter. The largest contributions came from electrical and electronic goods, which jumped 4.6%, followed by supermarkets and grocery stores at 1.3%, and pharmaceutical retailing at 1.2%. On the other hand, clothing, footwear and personal accessories, accommodation, and fuel retailing posted the sharpest declines. From a regional perspective, retail sales in the South Island increased by 0.2%, while sales in the North Island fell 0.3%. On an annual basis, total retail sales climbed 2.3% in Q2, marking a notable acceleration from the 0.7% gain recorded in Q1.

Retail sales in New Zealand rose 0.8% on quarter in three months to March of 2025, following an upwardly revised 1% growth in the previous period, and outperforming market expectations of a 0.1% increase. The largest contributors to the rise were motor vehicle and parts retailing (+3.1%), pharmaceutical and other store-based retailing (+3.7%), and clothing, footwear, and personal accessories (+3.2%). In contrast, hardware, building, and garden supplies (-2.1%) and liquor retailing (-6.5%) posted the steepest declines. On an annual basis, retail sales grew 0.7%, marking the second increase since Q3 2022, following an upwardly revised 0.3% rise in the previous quarter.