The economic situation would be worse if people don’t come into towns and cities across the country. If people stop coming into town they stop buying. Young previously told RNZ that she worried that foot traffic levels might never return to where they were, for some businesses. But Brad Olsen, chief executive at Infometrics, said consumer confidence more generally was likely to be more of a concern for retailers than whether people were working from home. “I don’t think it’s a full and complete view that people only spend when they’re working in town and don’t spend otherwise.”Brad Olsen, chief executive at Infometrics.

Source: New Zealand Herald April 01, 2026 23:14 UTC