Retail

The retail industry is a significant part of the New Zealand economy and covers a wide range of businesses, most of which sell new and used goods to consumers for personal, household and business use.

Retailing covers all activities directly related to the sale of goods and services to consumers or end users and is integral to a wide range of sectors, including food, fashion, household goods, hardware, technology, finance and big multi-national brands.

The industry has experienced significant growth due to both the increase in demand and the development of shopping venues in the last couple of years. New Zealanders spend more than $12,000 in shops each year for every adult, child and baby. That adds up to annual retail sales of more than $50 billion. The industry employs 325,000 people, about 20 per cent of the population (New Zealand Retailers Association and the link is http://www.retail.org.nz/retailresearchstatistics.html).

Real estate sales help to stimulate retail trade because house buyers often purchase new goods and furnishings to go with their homes. Tourism and immigration also affect retail. In the year to December 2006, domestic and international tourists spent $18.6 billion in New Zealand. Of this, $6.9 billion went towards purchasing retail goods.

Retail is a dynamic, fast paced and exciting industry with a broad scope of career opportunities for graduates, both on the shop floor right through to the head office functions in areas such as: financial accounting; buying; visual merchandising; property development; logistics; merchandise planning; designing; human resources; and management.

Technological change

In the last few years, advances in technology have prompted significant change in the retail industry. Although Internet retailing, or e-tailing, has not grown as rapidly as was first predicted, purchases made online continue to increase.

The Internet is also affecting consumer behaviour, in that customers are increasingly going on the web to research goods and so are more informed by the time they come to buy.

Computers have also made stocktaking and ordering processes easier and more streamlined. In some cases, it is possible for retailers to directly access the inventory of suppliers online. Due to the above factors, training in the use of computers and specific programs is becoming common in the retail trade.

Industry at a glance:

  • 49,000 retail outlets
  • region with highest increase in retail sales in 2007: Wellington.

*Except where indicated, information and statistics for this profile drawn from the following sources: www.careers.govt.nz; Terri Hall, Marketing Coordinator, Retailworld Resourcing, New Zealand; and Statistics New Zealand.