NZ retail sales rise a record 2.7% in 1Q as back-to-school drives electronic goods

NZ retail sales rise a record 2.7% in 1Q as back-to-school drives electronic goods
By Paul McBeth May 14 (BusinessDesk) - New Zealand retail sales rose at a record pace in the first three months of 2015 as the start of the school year underpinned demand for consumer electronics such as laptops and tablets. The volume of sales rose a seasonally adjusted 2.7 percent in the three months ended March 31, accelerating from a pace of 1.9 percent in the December quarter, according to Statistics New Zealand. That beat the 1.5 percent growth predicted in a Reuters survey of economists. Stripping out vehicle-related spending, reta...