NZ spending on credit, debit cards rises in March on food, liquor gain

NZ spending on credit, debit cards rises in March on food, liquor gain
By Jonathan Underhill April 13 (BusinessDesk) - New Zealanders increased their spending on credit and debit cards for a second month in March, led by an increase in consumables such as food and liquor, suggesting low interest rates, cheaper petrol and rising home values are loosening household wallets. The value of core retail spending, which strips out spending on fuel and vehicle related items, rose 0.8 percent last month, for a 6.1 percent year-on-year gain, Statistics New Zealand said. Total retail spending also climbed 0.8 percent in...