Tauranga residents spent more than $600 million on retail sales in December last year – the largest increase in six years, according to Statistics New Zealand.

Tauranga residents spent more than $600 million on retail sales last year.

Retail sales volumes in December saw the biggest increase in six years, with Tauranga residents spending a total of $689.1 million on retail – more than 60 million extra sales than a month before.

After adjusting for seasonal effects the volume of total retail sales increased 2.1 per cent compared with September last year.

Business statistics manager Blair Cardno says total sales volume and sales value trends have seen a consistent increase since low points in 2009.

Blair says the last time sales volumes rose more than 2 per cent was in December 2006.

'(A total of) 12 of the 15 retail industries had higher sales volumes in the latest quarter.”

Industries which saw the biggest increase this year were petrol stations, hardware stores, building, garden supplies including mechanics and parts trades.

'This is the second large increase in a row for the hardware, building, and garden supplies industry, which was again boosted by stronger than usual sales in Canterbury.”