The electronic card transactions (ECT) series covers debit, credit, and charge card transactions with New Zealand-based merchants. It can be used to indicate changes in consumer spending and economic activity.

Key facts

All figures are seasonally adjusted unless otherwise specified.

Values are at the national level and are not adjusted for price changes.

December 2023 month
Changes in the value of electronic card transactions for the December 2023 month (compared with November 2023) were:

spending in the retail industries decreased 2.0 percent ($132 million)
spending in the core retail industries decreased 2.0 percent ($119 million).

By retail spending category, movements were:

durables, down $33 million (2.0 percent)
fuel, down $19 million (3.4 percent)
apparel, down $10 million (2.9 percent)
motor vehicles (excluding fuel), down $4.6 million (2.2 percent)
consumables, down $1.6 million (0.1 percent).