Palmerston North businesses can expect some summer sizzle in their tills as consumer spending stays strong.

More than $164 million was spent through credit, debit, and eftpos cards in the Palmerston North area this December, 4.8 per cent more than in last December.

Paymark spokesman Paul Brislen said with spending the way it has been recently, it was going to be a great summer for the retail and hospitality industries.

Some Palmerston North business owners have noticed some of the increased spending come their way during a traditionally quiet time for the city.

Both bars that Matt Thomas manages, The Celtic in Palmerston North and Murray's Irish pub in Feilding, have been proving popular summer watering holes.

Thomas said both had a good, strong December and had a good New Year's crowd. Many people are out of town on holiday around New Year's and Thomas reckons his bars pulled in a good chunk of the people who stuck around.

"I was in Feilding myself – there was no-one around on the street, really. They were all in the pub.

"I expect we'll see a lot of smiling shop owners this summer."

He expects the next couple of months will be just as strong. The garden bars, and outside areas of pubs were always popular in the summer.

"When the weather's good we always get a good turnout looking to enjoy a cold beer, and good food."

The Royal owner Joanne Dillon said things had got a bit quiet at the Palmerston North pub since their biggest New Year's night in six years, but expected business would pick up again once everyone got back from holiday.

Hospitality New Zealand Manawatu regional manager Chris Hince said summer was a busy time for the hospitality industry. But Palmerston North has different trading patterns to the usual summer spots, like Taupo and the Coromandel.

Hince said Palmerston North's bars, restaurants and cafes really got busy in late January, early Feburary.

That was when a lot of military personnel came back to Ohakea and Linton. It's also when the academic year starts, and the students return. Hines said much of the local industry relied on students for staff and customers.

Manawatu Motel Association president Marian McMurray said the Christmas and New Year were always a bit of a slump in business for the area's moteliers, and this season was little different. But this year there's a major children's athletics competition being held in the city for the first time, the Colgate Games, being held in the city on January 8. McMurray said town would get pretty busy then, and that would help bridge the gap.

"We all know December and January are quiet. Then we've got the stockcars..."

It's not just Palmerston North businesses riding a summer spending wave. Kiwis spent $5.5 billion through Paymark with their cards in December alone.

The Bay of Plenty showed the country's strongest growth in spending, with a 10.1 per cent increase on last year, followed closely by the Marlborough, Auckland and Southland regions.