Christmas trading figures were flat, and for retail about one per cent down, according to Statistics NZ figures released this week. However, bookstores fall in the consumables and durable section of retail which did see a small rise, according to the report.
Nielsen Bookscan reported that sales for the last four weeks of 2011 were 2.3% down on sales for the last four weeks of 2010 (excluding Whitcoulls).
And that "up and down" scene was pretty much the picture book that retailers painted when The Read did the “How was your Christmas?” phone around.