New Zealand Retail Sales Unexpectedly Fall in Q2

2026-08-23 22:55 By Chusnul Chotimah 1 min. read

Retail sales in New Zealand unexpectedly dropped 0.5% quarter-on-quarter in Q2 2026, reversing an upwardly revised 1.0% growth in the previous quarter and defying market expectations of a 0.1% rise.

It was the first quarterly decline in retail sales since Q3 2024, with the figures adjusted for inflation and seasonal effects.

The decline was broad-based, with eight of the 15 retail industries recording lower sales volumes, with notable declines in fuel (-13%), motor vehicles and parts (-2.3%), accommodation (-8.0%), and food and beverage services (-2.8%).

By contrast, electrical and electronic goods sales rose 9.2%.

On an annual basis, retail turnover increased by 3.3%, easing from a 4.5% gain in Q1 and marking the weakest quarterly growth in a year.



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New Zealand Retail Sales Unexpectedly Fall in Q2
Retail sales in New Zealand unexpectedly dropped 0.5% quarter-on-quarter in Q2 2026, reversing an upwardly revised 1.0% growth in the previous quarter and defying market expectations of a 0.1% rise. It was the first quarterly decline in retail sales since Q3 2024, with the figures adjusted for inflation and seasonal effects. The decline was broad-based, with eight of the 15 retail industries recording lower sales volumes, with notable declines in fuel (-13%), motor vehicles and parts (-2.3%), accommodation (-8.0%), and food and beverage services (-2.8%). By contrast, electrical and electronic goods sales rose 9.2%. On an annual basis, retail turnover increased by 3.3%, easing from a 4.5% gain in Q1 and marking the weakest quarterly growth in a year.
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