Worldline NZ data shows pre-Christmas spending is still down, a watchpoint for Hibiscus Coast retailers.

Consumer spending processed through Worldline NZ’s Core Retail merchants totalled $3.223B for the first 21 days of December.

That is down 1.3% on the same period in December 2024, after adjustments for merchants joining or leaving the network.

Worldline NZ Chief Sales Officer Bruce Proffit said spending jumped sharply in the third week of December, as it often does, but year-on-year spending stayed below last year for both the week and month to date.

He said Food and Liquor shops continued to lift in week three, with the busiest days still to come.

He also said Hospitality was very busy on Saturday, December 20, and likely hit its Christmas peak that day, but the peak was 3.8% below the 2024 peak and below a peak day recorded in February 2025, pointing to more modest pre-Christmas party spending.

Across wider Core Retail, Proffit said spending rose again from prior weeks, yet stayed below last year for electronics, gifts, clothing, furniture, appliances, sports equipment, and books.

He said toy stores, chemists, jewellers, and home decorating retailers were up on last year.

Proffit said the gap may narrow in the next three days, as it did in 2014 when Christmas Day last fell on a Thursday.

Worldline noted these figures show general market trends and are not a proxy for Worldline’s market share or earnings.

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