Consumer spending across New Zealand rose slightly in January, offering a tentative positive signal for the economy despite sharp drops on days hit by extreme weather.

Figures released by Worldline NZ show core retail spending processed through its payments network reached $4.023B in January 2026.

That is up 0.6 percent on the same month last year, after adjusting for changes in the merchant base.

While the lift is small, the return to annual growth suggests consumer spending may be stabilising rather than continuing to slide backwards.

Worldline NZ Chief Sales Officer Bruce Proffit said the modest growth would be welcomed by retailers after a tough year, but warned the overall result masks sharp weather-related impacts.

Spending dropped heavily on Wednesday, January 21, the day storms and heavy rainfall hit several regions.

Core retail spending that day fell 5.6 percent, from $125m on the comparable Wednesday last year to $118m this year.

The disruption carried through the Auckland Anniversary long weekend in regions affected by severe weather, including Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Waikato, Auckland and Northland.

Total hospitality spending across those regions over the four days to January 26 was $71.2m, down 8.7 percent on the same weekend last year.

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