This blog was dedicated to the monitoring of latest developments in Central, Regional and Local politics from its base in New Zealand's capital city, Wellington. The blog was run by a team with unique insights into latest developments. The Hive was not politically aligned, but did support policy that was best for the growth of business and the economy. Given the obvious interest from our readership The Hive from time to time delved into the politics of other countries or regions.
Apr 14, 2008
Fall In Retail Sales Confirms Gloomy Picture
The fall in retail sales announced by Statistics today stands out in contrast to the survey of services activity that also came out today. This suggested that retail was the stongest performer! Of course, both could be right, in which case we are in real trouble. We hope that Dr Bollard had a good read of these results (and that he enjoyed his coffe this morning at Rise). While inflation is still a worry, most of the inflation is occuring in areas where purchasing activity won't be influenced that much by interest rates remaining high -- eg fuel.