The 4.9 magnitude quake hit the city of Christchurch as people strolled through the stores and streets. Officials say glass and masonry fell to the ground from buildings that were damaged by the temblor.
The quake is the largest aftershock from a 7.1 quake that hit the area back in September, causing extensive damage and some injuries.
No one was hurt in this quake but one store owner says it actually felt stronger than the last one.
"When we had the 7.1 (earthquake in September) we had very little damage to stock. I think only one guitar fell off the wall and a couple of other items fell over. But this one was a lot more violent and a lot more stuff has fallen off," business owner Roger Cleave said.
Emergency crews and engineers are still assessing the damaged buildings.
