The tills are ringing at the end of a difficult year for retailers

The weekend was the last before Christmas and retailers have described it as busy and steady - with that pattern set to continue this week as Christmas Day approaches.

Retail NZ chief executive Greg Harford says they've been hoping spending will remain strong through December so that everyone can have a good Christmas.

He says it's too early to say how spending is looking at this point but they're certainly hoping it's on track for a positive December.