Retail card spending jumped in April.

Stats NZ today said spending was up 0.7 per cent compared with March, when adjusted for seasonal effects.

“This month’s growth of 0.7 per cent follows a similar rise last month,” Stats NZ business performance manager Ricky Ho said.

“Consumables and durables led the growth despite falls in all other categories.”

Consumables included groceries and liquor, and durables included furniture, hardware, and appliances.

Total card spending on consumables increased by $60 million and total card spending on durables was up by $17 million.

Spending on groceries and liquor drove the increase, Stats NZ said.

Year-on-year, all retail card spending increased by $388 million or 6.4 per cent.

The data from Stats NZ included credit and debit cards in shops and online, and both the retail and services industries.