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 2026 quarter compared with the December 2025 quarter, unless otherwise stated:
- the total volume of seasonally adjusted retail sales was $26 billion, up 0.9 percent
- the total value of seasonally adjusted retail sales was $32 billion, up 2.2 percent ($683 million)
- 13 of the 16 regions had higher seasonally adjusted sales values
- the total value of actual retail sales was $32 billion, up 6.1 percent ($1.8 billion) compared with the March 2025 quarter
- the total value of actual stock as at 31 March 2026 was $9.3 billion, up 2.5 percent ($229 million) compared with 31 March 2025.
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-2021" | "25426654000" | "26126067000" | "26273647000" |
| "Jun-2021" | "26511665000" | "27195079000" | "26555872000" |
| "Sep-2021" | "23802707000" | "24723313000" | "26740781000" |
| "Dec-2021" | "29199341000" | "26826901000" | "26773731000" |
| "Mar-2022" | "26007411000" | "26687140000" | "26937936000" |
| "Jun-2022" | "25535164000" | "26224217000" | "26664925000" |
| "Sep-2022" | "24969369000" | "25953446000" | "25816934000" |
| "Dec-2022" | "28026047000" | "25708582000" | "25653375000" |
| "Mar-2023" | "24939197000" | "25425223000" | "25447229000" |
| "Jun-2023" | "24630447000" | "25393037000" | "25351726000" |
| "Sep-2023" | "24113270000" | "25157827000" | "25107182000" |
| "Dec-2023" | "26874739000" | "24666347000" | "24817234000" |
| "Mar-2024" | "24335951000" | "24757161000" | "24658037000" |
| "Jun-2024" | "23742966000" | "24518806000" | "24568125000" |
| "Sep-2024" | "23511904000" | "24500025000" | "24553273000" |
| "Dec-2024" | "26949020000" | "24737188000" | "24725597000" |
| "Mar-2025" | "24499522000" | "24921100000" | "24897448000" |
| "Jun-2025" | "24300837000" | "25099724000" | "25166480000" |
| "Sep-2025" | "24577233000" | "25593314000" | "25529067000" |
| "Dec-2025" | "28122267000" | "25812974000" | "25825709000" |
| "Mar-2026" | "25592591000" | "26044794000" | "26042562000" |
Sales volumes up in March
Ten of the 15 industries had higher seasonally adjusted sales volumes in the March 2026 quarter, compared with the December 2025 quarter.
By industry, the largest movements were:
- supermarket and grocery stores - up 1.7 percent
- hardware, building, and garden supplies - up 2.7 percent
- clothing, footwear, and personal accessories - down 4.8 percent
- accommodation - up 6.1 percent
- pharmaceutical and other store-based retailing - up 2.8 percent.
| "Industry" | "Volume" | "Value" |
| "Supermarket and grocery stores" | " 80721000" | "172910000" |
| "Hardware | " 56945000" | " 50020000" |
| building | " 53337000" | "100880000" |
| and garden supplies" | " 52149000" | " 72958000" |
| "Accommodation" | " 34110000" | " 79700000" |
| "Pharmaceutical and other store-based retailing" | " 24410000" | " 73444000" |
| "Food and beverage services" | " 17940000" | " -6596000" |
| "Motor vehicle and parts retailing" | " 16618000" | " 35602000" |
| "Electrical and electronic goods retailing" | " 2770000" | "137271000" |
| "Furniture | " 1661000" | " 9309000" |
| floor coverings | " -4601000" | " 10252000" |
| houseware | "-11884000" | "-11982000" |
| and textile goods" | "-16085000" | "-13566000" |
| "Fuel retailing" | "-21043000" | "-17859000" |
| "Specialised food retailing" | "-55228000" | " -9763000" |
| "Department stores" | ||
| "Liquor retailing" | ||
| "Non-store and commission-based retailing" | ||
| "Recreational goods retailing" | ||
| "Clothing | ||
| footwear | ||
| and personal accessories" |
Sales values up in March
Ten of the 15 industries had higher seasonally adjusted sales values in the March 2026 quarter, compared with the December 2025 quarter.
With price effects included, the largest industry movements were:
- supermarket and grocery stores - up 2.5 percent ($173 million)
- fuel retailing - up 5.9 percent ($137 million)
- accommodation - up 6.8 percent ($101 million)
- food and beverage services - up 1.9 percent ($80 million)
- motor vehicle and parts retailing - up 1.7 percent ($73 million).
Regional sales values
Thirteen of the 16 regions had higher seasonally adjusted sales values in the March 2026 quarter, compared with the December 2025 quarter.
By region, the largest movements were:
- Auckland - up 2.1 percent ($254 million)
- Canterbury - up 2.9 percent ($126 million)
- Wellington - up 3.3 percent ($91 million)
- Otago - up 4.5 percent ($84 million)
- Bay of Plenty - up 2.2 percent ($42 million).
More regional figures are in tables 7, 8, and 9 of the Excel workbook 'Retail trade survey: March 2026 quarter', under Download data.
Stock values up
Stock figures were recorded as at 31 March 2026. All references to stocks are in actual dollars.
The total value of stock held at 31 March 2026 was $9.3 billion, up 2.5 percent ($229 million) compared with 31 March 2025.
By industry, the largest movements were:
- motor vehicle and parts retailing - up 6.8 percent ($132 million)
- fuel retailing - up 42 percent ($85 million).
Data updates
We received updated information affecting results for the December 2025 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 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
Xiangyi Dong
[email protected]
04 931 4600
ISSN 1178-0355
Next release
Retail trade survey: June 2026 quarter will be released on 24 August 2026.
