Electronic card transactions: December 2020
11 February 2021: We have revised seasonally adjusted quarterly figures in the 'Electronic card transactions: December 2020' Excel tables 7 and 8. See Electronic card transactions: January 2021 for more information on the quality of the seasonal adjustment.
Download data
Electronic card transactions: December 2020 – CSV
ZIP compressed file, 118 KB
Electronic card transactions: December 2020 – revised 11 February 2021
Excel spreadsheet, 98 KB
Electronic card transactions: December 2020 lower-level data – CSV
ZIP compressed file, 34 KB
Key facts
All figures are actual (rather than seasonally adjusted) unless otherwise specified.
December month
In the December 2020 month compared with December 2019:
- spending in the retail industries rose 3.5 percent ($250 million)
- spending in the core retail industries rose 4.8 percent ($305 million).
By industry, the movements were:
- consumables, up $188 million (7.5 percent)
- durables, up $145 million (6.7 percent)
- apparel, up $38 million (8.2 percent)
- motor vehicles (excluding fuel), up $19 million (9.6 percent)
- hospitality, down $66 million (5.3 percent)
- fuel, down $74 million (12 percent).
The total value of electronic card spending, including the two non-retail categories (services and other non-retail) was up $169 million (1.8 percent) compared with December 2019.
The non-retail (excluding services) category was down $110 million (6.3 percent). This category includes medical and other health care services; travel and tour arrangement services; postal and courier delivery services; and other non-retail industries.
The services category was up $28 million (8.4 percent). This category includes repair and maintenance, personal care, funeral, and other personal services.
Cardholders made 178 million transactions across all industries in December 2020, with an average value of $53 per transaction. The total amount spent using electronic cards was $9.5 billion.
December quarter
Changes in the value of retail electronic card transactions for the December 2020 quarter (compared with the December 2019 quarter) were:
- spending in the retail industries rose $816 million (4.3 percent)
- spending in the core retail industries rose $1.0 billion (6.0 percent).
By industry, the movements were:
- durables, up $531 million (10 percent)
- consumables, up $514 million (7.6 percent)
- apparel, up $92 million (8.3 percent)
- motor vehicles (excluding fuel), up $51 million (8.8 percent)
- hospitality, down $130 million (3.7 percent)
- fuel, down $240 million (13 percent).
The total value of electronic card spending, including the two non-retail categories (services and other non-retail) was $26 billion, up $392 million (1.5 percent) from the December 2019 quarter.
The non-retail (excluding services) category was down $472 million (8.6 percent) and the services category was up $28 million (2.8 percent).
Values are only available at the national level and are not adjusted for price changes.
Trend series unavailable due to COVID-19
It is not possible to estimate current trend levels to Stats NZ’s usual quality standard until we know the full effect of COVID-19 on the time series. Once the series stabilises, we will estimate the COVID-19 effect on trend. The timeframe for this will vary for different series, depending on how they have been affected by COVID-19.
Seasonal adjustment unavailable due to COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced unusual patterns to the monthly and quarterly electronic card transaction series. Electronic card transaction series continues to show irregular spending patterns and historical seasonal patterns are no longer evident. Months up to February 2020 and quarters up to March 2020 are seasonally adjusted, and months from March 2020 (inclusive) and quarters from June 2020 (inclusive) will not be published. This approach will continue until an observable seasonal pattern returns to each series.
Lower-level electronic card transaction data
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Stats NZ will continue to release lower-level card transaction data covering the period to June 2021.
Changes in the value of electronic card transactions for the December 2020 month (compared with December 2019)
Consumables sub-industry movements
- supermarket and grocery stores, up $134 million (6.6 percent)
- liquor, up $36 million (16 percent)
- specialised food, up $18 million (7.2 percent).
Durables sub-industry movements
- furniture, electrical, and hardware retailing, up $99 million (12 percent)
- department stores, up $22 million (4.2 percent)
- recreational goods, up $16 million (6.1 percent)
- pharmaceutical and other store-based retailing, up $8 million (1.6 percent).
Hospitality sub-industry movements
- food and beverage services, up $17 million (1.8 percent)
- accommodation services, down $83 million (32 percent).
Non-retail sub-industry movements
- medical and other health care services (includes GPs, specialists, physiotherapy, optometry, ambulances, and dental care), up $38 million (18 percent)
- postal and courier pick-up and delivery services, down $15 million (20 percent)
- travel agency and other tour arrangement services, down $114 million (81 percent).
More data
Use Infoshare to access the electronic card transactions time series:
Subject category: Economic indicators
Group: Electronic card transactions (ANZSIC06) – ECT
Definitions and metadata
Electronic card transactions data collection methodology – DataInfo+ gives general methodology used to produce electronic card transaction statistics.
Electronic card transactions concepts – DataInfo+ gives definitions of terms used in this release.
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ISSN 1178-0258
Next release
Electronic card transactions: January 2021 will be released on 11 February 2021.