Where have rents risen and fallen?
A tight housing market has continued to put pressure on renters in many parts of the country at a time when incomes are squeezed. But the geographical distribution of rent increases has been uneven.
Benje Patterson
The regional impact of COVID-19: measurement practicalities
I was fortunate to speak at Economic Development New Zealand's national conference. I shared my experiences of assessing how COVID-19 is affecting local economies and what economic development professionals can do to help understand what is happening in their local area.
Cook Islands travel bubble: ‘soft aid’ from kiwi sunseekers
A potential New Zealand-Cook Islands travel bubble is a perpetual mirage on the horizon for kiwi travellers. The bubble would not just be a boon for kiwi sunseekers, but it could also be a $200m+ form of ‘soft aid’ that is a saviour of the Cook Islands economy.
Where were the school holiday spending hotspots?
The school holidays are behind us. Parents may be sighing with relief their dear children are no longer running riot, but many of our visitor destinations are back on tenterhooks as they wait to see whether the initial sugar rush of domestic travel can be sustained.
Trade surplus growth exceeds lost visitor spending
GOOD NEWS STORY: New Zealand’s trade surplus is sitting at record levels. What’s more, the expansion to the trade surplus has more than offset reduced international visitor spending.
Māori-owned farms: Good business even amid COVID-19
The outlook for Māori-owned farms is “surprisingly strong”, despite the worldwide impact of the Covid-19 pandemic was what I told Stuff's Susan Edmunds in a recent interview.
Putting Tiwai’s closure in perspective for Southland
The looming closure of Tiwai is a devastating blow for Southland. I spoke with Stuff's Melanie Carroll to put the closure in perspective, against how the rest of Southland's economy is faring amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Where has retail spending recovered the fastest?
The COVID-19 lockdown and border closures have hampered business earnings. This article assesses the effects these challenges have had on the retail sector across regional New Zealand and what’s in store for the coming months.
Queenstown’s surprising level of new business starts
I recently published a report that analyses emerging trends in business births and deaths in Queenstown immediately before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The crisis will challenge the survival of many existing businesses, but the process of change will create opportunities for many new entrepreneurs.
First volley in domestic flight price war?
Jetstar is making a shrewd pitch for custom in the domestic market from people that are more price sensitive than they were in the relatively secure pre-Covid world. With people worrying more about their financial situations, there is arguably more scope for discount airlines to gain a bigger foothold than before.
Interview: Entrepreneurship under adversity
I was recently interviewed by Kerre McIvor on Newstalk ZB about entrepreneurship during lockdown. In the interview I discuss which industries new businesses were in, where they were located, and how these lockdown businesses will support the economic recovery.
3,136 new lockdown businesses
People are entrepreneurial in the unlikeliest of situations. Even under COVID-19 lockdown, there were 3,136 businesses started in April 2020 across New Zealand. This article outlines which industries these businesses were in and where in the country people were most likely to start businesses.