According to the latest figures released, the retail and hospitality sector in the city of Christchurch has increased during the three months till December mainly due to rebuilding efforts of the government.

"This quarter's increase is the largest since the June 2011 quarter The surge in spending has pushed Christchurch's growth further ahead of the national growth," said industry and labour statistics manager Tehseen Islam.

Statistics New Zealand said that the total retail and hospitality sales increased 3.5 per cent for Christchurch in the December 2013 quarter and the total sales on a national level rose 1.2 per cent during the three month period till December 2013.

Data showed that retail and hospitality sales in Christchurch rose 8.4 per cent higher in the December 2013 quarter compared to the same quarter of the previous year.  The strong growth in Christchurch retail sales was backed by hardware, building, and garden supplies, Statistics New Zealand said.

A survey showed that on a national level, fuel retailing rose 5.7 per cent; clothing, footwear and accessories increased 9.9 per cent, and recreational goods up 8.6 per cent.