Retailwatch for May 2009

For the month of May 2009 retail spend is down overall.

Supermarkets and Food Retailers have experienced a 5.4% increase in spend. This is mirrored by an overall 6.8 percent rise in food prices for the year to May 2009, recorded by Statistics New Zealand, hence there hasn’t been a very dramatic shift.

Likewise, although fuel prices have risen recently, they are still down on this time last year. In May 2009, Unleaded 91 reached $1.679 per litre, as opposed to reaching $2.01 per litre in May 2008. This mirrors the 16.8 percent drop in spend in May 2009 as compared to May 2008, as it represents a 16.4 percent decrease in price.

The Travel & Accommodation category is down 15.6 percent from May 2008, but all isn’t entirely grim for this sector. People are choosing to holiday more within New Zealand, with Statistics New Zealand observing domestic guest nights to be up 9 percent from this time last year.

The Home & Building Supplies category saw the steepest decline in spend from the previous year, sliding 17% from May 2008. A downward trend in this sector has been supported by a steady decrease in building consents issued since June 2007, according to Statistics New Zealand who predict that this decline is set to ease off.

Retailwatch can be used to monitor trends in specific categories that are relevant to you while also building a broader picture of the overall retail environment. Retailwatch debuted to a wider audience last month after an extensive development phase.

Datamine can help you explore further the impacts of retail industry trends on your business. If you have any questions, would like to receive Retailwatch monthly, or would like further information that would help support your business decision making needs, please don't hesitate to contact us.