Credit and debit card spending down in Sask. this spring

Saskatchewan bucked a national trend toward increased spendingin the second quarter of 2017, according toone of Canada's debit and credit payment processors.

Nationally, spending was up 3.88 per cent between April and June, according to the MonerisSolutions Corporation.Spending increased in all provinces except Saskatchewan and Newfoundland.

Spending in Saskatchewan was down1.71 per cent year over year in the second quarter of 2017. Newfoundland had a decrease of 0.22 per cent.

Saskatchewandid post a 2.47 per cent increase in spending at restaurants, according to Moneris.

Statistics Canada reports retail sales in Saskatchewan dropped 4.1 per cent in Aprilafter eight months of growth, following an increase to the provincial sales tax at the end of March.

Quebec had the highest increase in spending (5.75 per cent), according to Moneris,followed by Nova Scotia (5.10 per cent) and British Columbia (5.04 per cent).

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