Plastic loses some shine

Electronic card retail spending fell in April, weighed down by weaker consumer and durable goods sales, data showed yesterday.

Electronic card transactions, which include debit, credit and charge cards used at the point of sale, showed retail spending fell a seasonally adjusted 0.3 per cent last month, following a revised flat reading in March, Statistics New Zealand said.

Electronic transactions for core retail groups, which excludes motor vehicle-related industries, fell a seasonally adjusted 0.9 per cent from March.