"We quite often find we don't pick up until quite late in the month and then we often have quite a strong January and February because that's the tourist market."
Some artists had focused on Christmas gift lines such as Christmas cards and calendars and one new artist had made Christmas decorations from flax.
Soaps and scarves were also popular for Christmas, said Ms Carthew.
Some businesses had come in to buy local Christmas gifts and there would probably be a rush of shoppers in the week ahead of Christmas.
The Bach had a much better winter than previous years, which was probably a result of the Hatea Loop bringing people to the town basin, said Ms Carthew.
"I think the loop has certainly had something to do with our increased business over winter and I think there's a general feeling of a bit more positivity in the town," she said.
"Overall I think the town is a little bit more buoyant and there's a bit more colour and positivity, and certainly our trading's steady."
New Zealand-wide, spending was up 6.9 per cent to $5.032 billion. Card transactions were up 8.6 per cent to 103.86 million, according to Paymark.
Nationwide, spending jumped noticeably, between November 17 and November 20 and again a week later.
The most money for the month was spent on Friday, November 25. The growth rate on that day was in keeping with other days that week, indicating a steady rise in Christmas spending.
Spending growth was solid at 5.1 per cent over the last week of November. Accommodation and liquor retail merchants recorded the fastest annual growth during the week.
Over the month spending was up 17.4 per cent in the accommodation sector, suggesting another strong tourism season.
Electrical and electronics spending was also strong, up 11 per cent, according to Paymark.
The earthquake on Monday, November 14 caused a drop in spending on the day in most New Zealand regions. Spending was down 3 per cent on the previous Monday.
The spending decline over the Monday and Tuesday was highest in Marlborough, Kaikoura and Wellington, compared with the same time last year.