Spending rise in Gisborne New Zealand's second highest

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GISBORNE people are in spend mode and they are increasingly using their plastic cards to pay instead of cash.

Paymark, which manages 75 percent of all EFTPOS transactions, analysed the shopping of people who pay through EFTPOS machines.

The Gisborne region had the second-highest increase (15.8 percent) across the country in the number of transactions, with 290,000 card swipes last week. That averages out to more than 41,000 swipes, or waves, of a plastic card a day.

Figures released yesterday from Paymark showed Gisborne retailers received $12.5 million through their tills for those transactions over the last seven days up to and including Sunday, December 17.

This is a 17.5 percent increase on the same time last year.

Gisborne took second place in the New Zealand figures. Marlborough topped the regions with an increase of 18.8 percent in money spent. Auckland and Northland had a 4.4 percent rise, and Canterbury a 3.4 percent increase.

But shopkeepers are not resting. Paymark communications manager Paul Brislen said this week would be the busiest yet.

“For most, the busiest seven days of the year will end either Friday or Saturday.”

Grant Bros owner Renee Grant said she had definitely noticed more people shopping in town over the past week.

“I’d definitely say it is on EFTPOS transactions now more than cash — most people don’t carry cash on them like they used to.”

She is looking forward to a bigger week this week, with late nights, and remaining open all weekend like most other shops in town.