Anna Elphick General Manager Strategy, Insight and Policy said the increased spending was encouraging but there is still some way to go.
“There’s been strong growth in many suburbs including Papanui and New Brighton. Pent up demand and eased restrictions on movement have provided some buoyancy to the levels of retail spending, but we are yet to see how long the sugar rush will last.
“We know there are still challenging times ahead and any “return to normal” will take a long time,” said Elphick.