I take exception to the statements by Graeme Butler about retailers raising their prices for tourists, especially American tourists.
Your figures are a little misleading. Why would a business lose money if they sold a product at the same price they did when the US dollar wasn't worth as much in NZ dollars? The product was stocked in NZ dollars, so why not sell it in NZ dollars? If in fact one is dealing with American made goods and retailing them, then I can see your point in following the US/NZ dollar. But just to raise the price of a NZ made item because an American can buy more with their dollar today than yesterday is one of the reasons tourists will be turned off on visiting here. Goes along with the rising crimes against tourists, don't you think?
I've heard that the tourists on the cruise ships arriving in Tauranga are charged around $50US for an all-day pass on the buses. And I know a lady that saw and ad in the paper for some big sales in the women's clothing stores and decided to do her shopping at the Mount instead of Tauranga. She said that upon entering the stores at the Mount there was not a ‘SALE' tag to be seen anywhere. On inquiring about the sale advertised was told, 'that didn't apply to the Mount stores”. I wonder why that would be. Could it be that the tourists off the cruise ship that docked that day would be shopping?
Keep it up. You think the tourist traffic is slowing down? Just keep up that kind of silly stuff and see what happens. Reminds me of shopping in Tijuana, Mexico, I could usually purchase an item down there for about a tenth of the marked price. But observed Japanese shoppers being charged as much as twice what the marked price was. Why, because at that time the Japanese dollar was very strong and the Mexicans knew that so they adjusted their prices much as you suggest the Kiwi does to rip off the tourists. Pretty sad situation I'd say.
Paul Stevens, Tauranga.