The Easter trading period is crucial for some retailers, hospitality outlets and the accommodation sector.
The ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence Index dipped slightly from 119.7 in February to 118.0, but remained in line with the historical average, ANZ's chief economist Cameron Bagrie said.
"Sentiment has been oscillating in a reasonably narrow range over the past six months after coming out of a chocolate dip, another sign the economy is still in reasonable nick,'' he said.
For the retail sector, some company results due out this week will give a more concise snapshot of actual trading conditions during the past six months.
Beleaguered Pumpkin Patch and Kathmandu report their respective half-year results, both needing to present a turnaround in fortunes after either lack-lustre sale performances or being caught out by changeable weather patterns, leaving high stock inventories.
Mr Bagrie said the "confidence composite'', which combined both consumer and business confidence, continued to point to respectable prospects for the economy.
"While it may not be a strong rate by historical standards, it's a pace of growth that will remain the envy of many countries around the globe,'' he said.
Mr Bagrie said consumers were feeling better off compared with a year ago, and that optimism was broadly unchanged in the month prior.
"Encouragingly, consumers expect to be even better off 12 months down the track,'' he said.
Last week's data from Statistics New Zealand revealed retailing, accommodation and the construction sectors all helped underpin an unexpected 0.9% rise in gross domestic product (GDP) for the final quarter to December last year.
A GDP rise of 0.6%-0.7% had been picked by analysts, and the Reserve Bank.
Offsetting declines in the manufacturing agriculture sectors was a gain in the service sector - with household spending on services up 1% for the quarter.
The cooling in manufacturing was reflected in Otago and Southland last week, an easing in expansion resulting from lower than expected holiday season product uptake and slow machinery sales in the agri-sector.
Mr Bagrie said the economy was "hopping along at a reasonable pace''.
"Importantly, it's a speed that is more sustainable for longer-term prospects.''
He said while optimism over the short-term economic outlook had slipped 5 points to a five-month low, it was still in positive territory; with optimism higher on the longer-term outlook, he said.
