NZ retail spending on credit, debit cards climbs 0.6 percent in December

NZ retail spending on credit, debit cards climbs 0.6 percent  in December
Jan. 14 (BusinessDesk) – New Zealanders lifted retail spending on credit and debit cards last month, adding to signs an accelerating economy is making consumers more confident to open their wallets. Total electronic card transactions at retailers rose 0.6 percent, seasonally adjusted, in December from November and were up 5.5 percent compared to December 2012, according to Statistics New Zealand. Core retailing rose 0.9 percent, led by a 3 percent rise in apparel sales, a 2.1 percent increase in hospitality and a 0.7 percent gain in consumab...