Spending in the Hastings district increased by 9.1 per cent on the same quarter last year for locals, while international spending also increased by 7.2 per cent. Photo / Duncan Brown
Spending in the Hastings district increased by 9.1 per cent on the same quarter last year for locals, while international spending also increased by 7.2 per cent. Photo / Duncan Brown
Retail spending in Hastings has once again outstripped the national spending growth rate, with big box retailers the driving contributor behind the rise.
The latest Marketview report on the retail spending figures for the three months to the end of March 2019 showed spending across Hastings increased by 5.8 percent over the same time last year, compared with a national spending growth rate of 3.4 per cent.
The total spend for the three months was $72 million, with 70 per cent of that coming from locals, 10 per cent from Napier residents, 6 per cent from Central Hawke's Bay and 1 per cent international.
But some local retailers haven't noticed much of that windfall.
Adrian Thornton of the Little Red Book Shop said that they haven't seen much change over the last few years.
"Little shops like us sort of rely on those regulars who come through, but I don't know where that improvement is coming from, stores like The Warehouse and big retailers like that have been doing a lot better," Thornton said.
"It sort of makes a point on it when a small toy store near here had to close down recently."
Hastings District Council's economic development and urban affairs portfolio leader Damon Harvey said Hastings continued to perform well in retail spending due to its strong economy and a buoyant residential housing market.
Adrian Thornton of the Little Red Book Shop said that they haven't seen much change over the last few years. Photo / Paul Taylor
"Our revitalisation plan for Hastings is under way, by early next year we will see the opening of the Opera House and Plaza and we have a hotel about to get under way, so it all bodes well for confidence in our CBD and other retail precincts."
The sharpest increase in Hastings spending occurred at St Aubyn St East (13 per cent) followed by the rest of the Hastings district (10.1 per cent) and then Hastings CBD (6.1 per cent).
Spending in the Hastings district also increased by 9.1 per cent on the same quarter last year for locals, while international spending also increased by 7.2 per cent.
Chairman of Hastings City Business Association Craig Riddiford said that invested interest from retailers has really set a strong foundation to the city.
"There have been a lot of start-ups and new businesses coming to the region, which has made the city a lot busier and more vibrant and you can see the effect with more people around," Riddiford said.
"That growth combines with the council's new revitalisation plan to make the city a much nicer place and better place to be."
Havelock North has also seen improvement on the same time last year at 5.6 per cent – 68 per cent of that being from local spending.
Spending by visitors from Napier was down by 13.6 per cent but international spending was up 5.5 per cent making up 3.6 per cent of the total (compared to 0.9 per cent in the Hastings district overall).
