By Sophie BootNew Zealand seasonally adjusted retail spending on electronic cards fell in February, failing to continue January's gain. Actual retail spending climbed 2.6 percent to $4.8 billion in February from the same month a year earlier, though February 2016 had an extra day of trading as it was a leap year. Hospitality spending fell 1.2 percent and apparel was down 3.3 percent. Of the non-retail industries, non-retail excluding services dipped 1.3 percent from January while spending in the services industry rose 2.1 percent. Spending on fuel rose 2.8 percent, while vehicle spending slipped 0.6 percent.

Source: New Zealand Herald March 09, 2017 22:30 UTC