"Underlying spending through the Paymark network was 3 per cent or $4.2 million below the level of the previous Monday." Marlborough recorded the lowest annual growth for the month, up just 1.3 per cent on the previous year. "Over the last full week of November, the underlying annual spending growth was solid if unspectacular at 5.1 per cent," Paymark said. "Combined, the earthquake and start to Christmas spending added up to underlying growth between October and November of 0.2 per cent when seasonally adjusted," it said. "The annual underlying growth rate for the month remains high at 6.9 per cent."

Source: New Zealand Herald December 04, 2016 21:17 UTC