Kiwis open wallets - and hearts

The tragedy of the Christchurch earthquake has seen a surge in Kiwi charity. Photo / Simon Baker

Kiwis are donating more and spending ethically after the Christchurch earthquake and financial crisis.

A MasterCard survey on ethical spending shows 55 per cent of New Zealanders are donating to charity, despite increased pressure on household budgets.

"Local disaster relief funds were understandably receiving one of the biggest increases in contributions and topping the list of preferred causes alongside serious illness funds," MasterCard New Zealand manager Albert Naffah said.

The survey found consumers were also willing to buy from a retailer if a contribution from the cost was returned to the community and were considering the environment and fair trade when buying.

Forty per cent of respondents said they would pay more for items associated with ethical causes.

Women and younger shoppers were shown to typically buy products from merchants who stocked ethical products, with men and people aged 25 to 34 less likely.

Red Cross chief executive John Ware said New Zealanders had donated a record $115 million to the earthquake appeal that had helped 80,000 individuals and households in Christchurch.

Eco Store manager Malcolm Rands said his company had seen a seven per cent increase in turnover in the last financial year in a product area that had seen a 10 per cent drop overall.

"We are in a category of household products that is shrinking across the board and we've had a major competitor enter the market so we're doing well," he said.

"It's amazing when people get excited about buying dish liquid, it's usually a grudge product," he said.

Eco Store had been set up as a profit-making business alongside a charitable foundation called Fairground Foundation which put funds into organic gardening projects in schools, developed a housing project and had one full time employee.

Survey data was collected between December 5, 2011 and January 6, 2012 through online interviews with 500 people in New Zealand aged 18 to 64 who used the internet at least once a week.