New Zealand Small Business Sales Surge as Confidence Jumps

June data from Xero shows New Zealand small‑business sales rose 8.6% year‑on‑year, driven largely by a 16.3% jump in agricultural sales – the strongest quarterly gain in almost four years. Regional growth was strongest in agricultural hubs such as Canterbury (12.3%), Manawatū‑Whanganui (11.9%) and Waikato (10%). By contrast, retail and hospitality saw more modest increases, and job listings for small businesses barely rose, with wages growing only 1.5%, the slowest on record.

In July, ANZ’s Business Outlook survey recorded a sharp rise in business confidence to 56.1 from 36.6, and firms’ activity outlook climbed to 49.3. Export, investment and employment intentions improved, while inflation expectations eased, giving the Reserve Bank of New Zealand room to maintain a supportive policy stance amid global geopolitical uncertainty.