Wellington, Feb 10 (IANS): New Zealand's retail card spending increased to NZ$171 million, or 2.6 per cent, in January compared with December 2022, the statistics department said on Friday.

Retail card spending, as well as total card spending, increased in January 2023 following a fall in December 2022, Xinhua news agency quoted Stats NZ as saying.

The rise in retail spending was led by a 5.1 per cent increase in the durables category, which includes items such as furniture, hardware, and appliances, the statistics department said.

"The increase in spending on durables came after decreases in November and December last year," business performance manager Ricky Ho said.

The largest contributor to the rise in total card spending was the non-retail excluding services category, which increased 7.8 per cent.

This category includes transport, travel agents and other tour services, and schools and tertiary education, Ho said.

Spending in the hospitality category rose by 16.6 percent compared with the same month last year.

The hospitality category includes accommodation and food services, according to Stats NZ.

"The higher spending on hospitality this month reflects fewer Covid-19-related travel restrictions compared with January 2022," Ho said, adding the opening of the border in the middle of last year meant more overseas tourists were able to visit New Zealand.