How the Office for Seniors can help
Hi Neighbours!
Our Office sits within the Ministry for Social Development. Our role is to improve the lives of older people across New Zealand by providing helpful information, promoting the wellbeing and concerns of seniors and increasing awareness of the issues facing our ageing population. We are here to help!
For useful information, opportunities and stories about seniors, sign up to our SuperSeniors Newsletter here: bit.ly...
Read our Better Later Life strategy, which guides our work to help make the future better for New Zealanders as we age: bit.ly...
We have lots of helpful resources on getting an Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) on our website: bit.ly...
We are working on making our communities more Age-friendly. Find out about our Community Connects grants here: bit.ly...
Our website also includes important information on Elder Abuse and where to get help: bit.ly...
We know some people don't like Facebook, and that's ok. If you have an account, you can like our page for regular updates, and some fun stuff too! : www.facebook.com...
If you have a question, or would like more information, whether you are over-65, or if you have a close family member or friend who is a senior, you can email us at: osc@msd.govt.nz
Christmas Eve busiest shopping day of the year with more than 500,000 sales
Busiest shopping day of the year
Peak time 12 noon-1 pm - 563,303 transactions
Per second peak - 167 transactions
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Number of sales beats Black Friday, but lowest Christmas Eve in six years
Christmas Eve has been the busiest shopping day of the year with 9,745 sales a minute at its peak.
Payments company Worldline says noon to 1pm saw 563,303 sales recorded on its network, down by about 7 percent on a year ago.
The company's network covers about three-quarters of the electronic terminals in operation.
Worldline did not have a dollar value for spending, but the peak number of transactions was the lowest for the past six years and well shy of the record 679,436 in 2019, before the pandemic.
Earlier this month it noted rising sales in the first three weeks of the month, but they remained 1.3 percent lower than 2024, with most parts of the country trailing the previous year's spending.
Official data from Stats NZ to the end of November showed a small rise in spending on the previous month, to 1.6 percent higher for the year.
Retail spending has been subdued as households have remained cautious because of high prices and a slow benefit from lower interest rates, and as well as concerns about the soft labour market.
However, recent surveys have shown improving consumer sentiment with ANZ bank's monthly report showing confidence at its highest level in four years.
Boxing Day is traditionally the country's favourite shopping day, but with Black Friday spending also softer this year the amount going through retailers' terminals may also be down on a year ago.
Adding a dampener to consumer spending may be the recent rises in longer term fixed mortgage rates because of higher wholesale rates.
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Scam Alert: Fake information regarding December Bonuses from MSD
The Ministry of Social Development is reporting that fake information is circulating about new ‘December bonuses’ or ‘benefit increases’
If you get suspicious communication, please contact Netsafe.
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