Retail sales plummeted in April and the loosened lockdown restrictions haven't improved the outlook for the month ahead. Retail NZ says online retail sales are up 350 per cent under Alert Level 3, but overall sales are down by about 80% on average. Greg Harford, chief executive of Retail NZ, said sales had "collapsed" across the sector as uncertainty caused by the pandemic bites. While sales at supermarkets have soared in recent weeks as they remained one of the few businesses permitted to remain open, overall sales in the sector have taken a dive. There are 27,000 retail businesses in New Zealand which employ 219,000 workers.

Source: Otago Daily Times May 03, 2020 21:56 UTC