They're still managing to shop, shop, shop. 
Stores report record sales figures
11:40AM Monday May 14, 2007
Retail sales rose a seasonally and inflation-adjusted 3.8 per cent, or $539 million, in the March quarter, the largest increase since the series of figures started in 1995 and well above expectations.
Statistics New Zealand (SNZ) figures published today show the industries making the largest contribution to the increase were motor vehicle retailing, up 6.3 per cent ($153 million), and appliance retailing, which rose 9.1 per cent ($107 million).
The March quarter increase was well above the median prediction in a Reuters poll of economists where the figure was 1.8 per cent. It followed rises of 2.1 per cent in the December quarter and 1.1 per cent in the three months to last September.
The three months covered by the latest data includes three weeks after the Reserve Bank increased official interest rates by 0.25 of a percentage point, but not a second hike late last month.
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