NZ Retail Trade Survey: Fashion Sales Lag Behind Inflation Rate

New Zealand's retail trade survey data shows an economy with varied growth rates. Fashion sales grew by 3.4% in the June 2026 quarter compared to the same period last year, but this is below the current inflation rate of 4.1%. The actual clothing, footwear and accessories sales reached NZ$1.28 billion.

According to Retail NZ CEO Carolyn Young, a handful of strong sectors are delivering standout performances, but behind these numbers, a significant portion of retail is bumping along below inflation. Electrical and electronic goods led the way with a 23.5% increase compared to the 2025 June quarter, reaching NZ$1.12 billion.

Home and health categories also saw solid gains, with pharmaceuticals up 13.1%, hardware and building supplies rising 9.5%, and furniture and housewares growing 9.1%. However, core sectors like supermarkets (up 2.6%), recreational goods (up 2.7%), and department stores (up 0.6%) failed to keep pace with inflation.

The data from Stats NZ also show stock levels across each industry, with fashion inventories falling 1.8% in the June 2026 quarter year-on-year. In trend terms, clothing, footwear and accessories saw a 0.2% lift in sales volumes between June 2025 and June 2026 quarters.