The retail trade survey measures the sales and stock of businesses that provide household and personal goods and services - for example car yards, petrol stations, supermarkets, cafes and restaurants, and hotels.
Key facts
For the March 2025 quarter compared with the December 2024 quarter, unless otherwise stated:
- total volume of seasonally adjusted retail sales was $25 billion, up 0.8 percent
- total value of seasonally adjusted retail sales was $31 billion, up 1.5 percent ($464 million)
- all 16 regions had higher seasonally adjusted sales values
- total value of actual retail sales was $30 billion, up 1.4 percent ($417 million), compared with the March 2024 quarter
- total value of actual stock as at 31 March 2025 was $9.3 billion, down 1.5 percent ($143 million) compared with 31 March 2024.
Actual values are in current prices and not adjusted for inflation or price effects. Seasonally adjusted values have had typical seasonal patterns removed. Volumes have had price changes removed and are expressed in September 2010 quarter prices.
| "Quarter" | "Actual " | "Seasonally adjusted" | "Trend" |
| "Mar-2020" | "23853477000" | "24338077000" | "24516002000" |
| "Jun-2020" | "19925762000" | "20483521000" | "24535837000" |
| "Sep-2020" | "25092233000" | "26127883000" | "25331941000" |
| "Dec-2020" | "27977684000" | "25659465000" | "25685530000" |
| "Mar-2021" | "25426654000" | "26126061000" | "26280323000" |
| "Jun-2021" | "26511665000" | "27189626000" | "26554155000" |
| "Sep-2021" | "23802707000" | "24732532000" | "26729190000" |
| "Dec-2021" | "29199341000" | "26820968000" | "26765136000" |
| "Mar-2022" | "26007411000" | "26692610000" | "26933298000" |
| "Jun-2022" | "25535164000" | "26213583000" | "26641621000" |
| "Sep-2022" | "24969369000" | "25960791000" | "25820634000" |
| "Dec-2022" | "28026047000" | "25702665000" | "25654964000" |
| "Mar-2023" | "24939197000" | "25442703000" | "25450507000" |
| "Jun-2023" | "24630447000" | "25376086000" | "25348574000" |
| "Sep-2023" | "24113270000" | "25158214000" | "25099204000" |
| "Dec-2023" | "26874739000" | "24663887000" | "24826873000" |
| "Mar-2024" | "24335951000" | "24779883000" | "24666660000" |
| "Jun-2024" | "23742966000" | "24493197000" | "24546396000" |
| "Sep-2024" | "23511900000" | "24500760000" | "24513921000" |
| "Dec-2024" | "26949020000" | "24743574000" | "24719457000" |
| "Mar-2025" | "24499522000" | "24941166000" | "24945591000" |
Sales volumes up in March
Ten of the 15 industries had higher seasonally adjusted sales volumes in the March 2025 quarter compared with the December 2024 quarter.
By industry, the largest movements were:
- motor vehicle and parts retailing - up 3.1 percent
- pharmaceutical and other store-based retailing - up 3.7 percent
- hardware, building, and garden supplies - down 2.1 percent
- clothing, footwear, and personal accessories - up 3.2 percent
- liquor retailing - down 6.5 percent.
| "Industry" | "Volume" | "Value" |
| "Motor vehicle and parts retailing" | "108345000" | "134110000" |
| "Pharmaceutical and other store-based retailing" | " 61384000" | "106029000" |
| "Clothing | " 37838000" | " 55163000" |
| footwear | " 24096000" | " 11428000" |
| and personal accessories" | " 16505000" | " 18296000" |
| "Accommodation" | " 10658000" | " 15094000" |
| "Non-store and commission-based retailing" | " 8419000" | " 12731000" |
| "Specialised food retailing" | " 6735000" | " 76179000" |
| "Recreational goods retailing" | " 6368000" | " 9884000" |
| "Supermarket and grocery stores" | " 5462000" | "121280000" |
| "Department stores" | " -158000" | " -9199000" |
| "Fuel retailing" | " -3324000" | " 7776000" |
| "Electrical and electronic goods retailing" | "-14538000" | " -3412000" |
| "Food and beverage services" | "-27738000" | "-31780000" |
| "Furniture | "-42460000" | "-59350000" |
| floor coverings | ||
| houseware | ||
| and textile goods" | ||
| "Liquor retailing" | ||
| "Hardware | ||
| building | ||
| and garden supplies" |
Sales values up in March
Eleven of the 15 industries had higher seasonally adjusted sales values in the March 2025 quarter compared with the December 2024 quarter.
With price effects included, the largest industry movements were:
- motor vehicle and parts retailing - up 3.5 percent ($134 million)
- fuel retailing - up 5.3 percent ($121 million)
- pharmaceutical and other store-based retailing - up 5.1 percent ($106 million)
- supermarket and grocery stores - up 1.1 percent ($76 million)
- hardware, building, and garden supplies - down 2.3 percent ($59 million).
Regional sales values
All 16 regions had higher seasonally adjusted sales values in the March 2025 quarter compared with the December 2024 quarter.
By region, the largest movements were:
- Auckland - up 1.9 percent ($211 million)
- Canterbury - up 2.4 percent ($96 million)
- Wellington - up 2.5 percent ($67 million)
- Otago - up 3.2 percent ($55 million)
- Bay of Plenty - up 1.9 percent ($35 million).
More regional figures are in tables 7, 8, and 9 of the Excel workbook 'Retail trade survey: March 2025 quarter', under Download data.
Stock values down
Stock figures were recorded as at 31 March 2025. All references to stocks are in actual dollars.
The total value of stock held at 31 March 2025 was $9.3 billion, down 1.5 percent ($143 million) compared with 31 March 2024.
By industry, the largest movements were:
- motor vehicle and parts retailing - down 4.5 percent ($97 million)
- hardware, building, and garden supplies - down 4.4 percent ($64 million).
Data updates
We received updated information affecting results for the December 2024 quarter. We have revised the data and affected series are marked with a revision flag in the published tables, CSV files, and Infoshare.
Infoshare changes by date has more information on the data updates and the series affected.
More data
Use Infoshare for retail trade tables:
Subject category: Industry sectors
Group: Retail trade (ANZSIC06) - RTT
Definitions and metadata
Retail trade survey - DataInfo+ provides general methodology used to produce retail trade survey statistics.
Retail trade survey concepts - DataInfo+ gives the definitions of terms used in this release.
Technical enquiries
Divya Sharma
04 931 4600
[email protected]
ISSN 1178-0355
Next release
Retail trade survey: June 2025 quarter will be released on 25 August 2025.
