The Star: October 05, 2017

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Thursday October 5 2017 7
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Fire rages, homes at risk
Cantabrians have a taste for dining out
• By Gabrielle Stuart
EVERY TABLE was full at Little
High Eatery yesterday, where
Roger Townshend was enjoying
a pizza with his daughter Sarah
Harrison and grandchildren Jet
and Willow.
They are part of a wave of
Cantabrians regularly eating out,
according to figures released by
Westpac yesterday.
Cantabrians spend an average
of $380 a month at restaurants or
cafes, according to the figures, or
about $89 a week.
That was the third-highest
spend in the country, behind
Auckland at $486 and
Wellington $436.
When asked how much they
spent eating out, the Moncks Bay
residents had one response: “Too
much.”
Ms Harrison said she usually
ate out for dinner once a week,
but bought a coffee every day –
so she said her weekly spend was
around the $89 average.
Mr Townshend, a semi-retired
businessman, said he spent a lot
more.
He said his total spend varied
too much to put a figure on it,
but he went out for lunch or
dinner at least five times a week,
as well as going out for at least
one coffee a week.
He said it was a good way to
catch up with friends and he
liked supporting Canterbury
businesses.
“We’re pretty loyal to our local
cafes and businesses in Sumner,”
he said.
Both said seeing new cafes and
restaurants opening up around
the city prompted them to eat
out more.
“A big part of Christchurch is
our cafe and restaurant culture.
Places like this are affordable,
accessible, easy,” Ms Harrison
said.
Cantabrians aged between 36
and 55 spent the most eating out,
with an average monthly spend
of $453.
Cantabrians’ average monthly
spending:
•$380 on eating out
•$657 on groceries
•$204 on entertainment
•$217 on health and beauty
HUNGRY:
Sarah Harrison
and Roger
Townshend
with Willow,
2, and Jet, 5,
tucking into a
BASE pizza for
lunch at Little
High Eatery.
PHOTO:
MARTIN
HUNTER
Cantabrians aged 56 or older
spent the least – an average of
$318 – while those aged 18 to 35
spent an average of $366.
The figures are based on the
spending patterns of 96,000
Westpac customers, and are
broken down through its
CashNav app.
Westpac NZ general manager
of marketing, products and
transformation Andrew Kerr
linked the results to the rebuild.
“With Canterbury getting back
on its feet economically and an
array of fantastic new cafes and
restaurants opening, it’s probably
not surprising that Cantabrians
spend the third most on eating
out, but it’s worth keeping a close
watch on that spending,” he said.
The figures showed
Cantabrians in the 36-55 age
bracket were also the biggest
spenders at supermarkets,
spending an average of $820 per
month – about $153 per week.
Those 56 or older spent $670
per month, while those under-35
spent the least – $494.
Over a month, the average
Cantabrian spent $204 on
entertainment, like movies,
concerts and gambling, and $217
on health and beauty through
places like pharmacies, gyms
and beauty salons.
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