Electronic card spending was ''flat'' during September, following two months of strong growth.
Statistics New Zealand (SNZ) data yesterday revealed card spending for September was down 0.1%, and after removing fuel and vehicle-related spending, it was down 0.4%.
However, separate retail spending data from Paymark yesterday saw a 7.6% rise in value in New Zealand in the space of a year, from $3.86 billion in September last year to $4.15 billion last month.
Southland led the top five at 9.5% and Otago was fifth, at 7.2%.
Paymark said the average growth rate across all regions and sectors for the quarter to September ''remained moderate'', reflecting ''mixed spending'' as opposed to steady growth in general.
The volume of Otago transactions rose by 5.4%, from 4.36 million a year ago to 4.6 million, and value rose 7.2%, from $205.5 million to $220.3 million.
Analysts of the SNZ data said distractions to consumer spending may have been higher interest rates, election uncertainties, lower consumer confidence and slower house price inflation, SNZ business indicators manager Neil Kelly said the largest declines were consumables, down $6.3 million, or 0.4%, and fuel, down $6.1 million, or 0.8%, while the largest retail gain was durables, up $2.8 million, or 0.3%.
There were 115 million transactions across all industries in September, at an average value of $50, worth a total $5.8 billion.
ASB rural economist Nathan Penny said September was flat following strong data in August.
''The election-related uncertainties during September may also have been a dampening influence on consumer spending,'' he said.
On the whole, households remained confident, but their level of confidence did not translate into the same level of spending.
''With this in mind, we expect the modest growth in household spending to continue over the remainder of the year,'' Mr Penny said.
Westpac senior economist Felix Delbruck had been expecting some moderation in activity, from what seemed like an ''unsustainably strong pace of growth the previous two months''.
''Over the past three months as a whole, 'core' retail card spending is still up 0.9%, a fairly similar pace to the June quarter's 1.2%,'' he said.
Monthly indicators to date had suggested the domestic economy continued to expand ''at a fairly healthy pace in the September quarter'', albeit more slowly than at the start of the year, as higher interest rates, a slower pace of house price inflation and lower confidence weighed on momentum, Mr Penny said.
