Hong Kong’s smaller grocers are bracing for pressure amid a fresh wave of price cuts by supermarkets and big retail chains, but some economists say their “neighbourhood connection” could help them stay afloat. A lawmaker also said it was unlikely the big local chains would monopolise the market citing strong competition from online shopping platforms….
Hong Kong’s smoking rate fell to 8.5 per cent last year, missing an ambitious target of 7.8 per cent, but health authorities have hailed the success of the city’s tobacco control strategy, which led to a 30 per cent decline in overall cigarette consumption. Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau told a Legislative Council meeting on…
Hong Kong restaurants suffered a 6 to 7 per cent revenue drop over the Easter weekend, an industry source said, as gains from a 15 per cent rise in mainland Chinese tourists failed to offset business lost to 1.7 million departing locals. Industry leaders also said on Monday that the trend of locals travelling across…
The surge in oil prices caused by the Middle East conflict will drive up the cost of plastic products, construction materials and even household goods such as toilet paper in Hong Kong, according to business leaders. They also warned on Monday that some local exporters and manufacturers faced a cash-flow squeeze as overseas buyers opted…
Visitor numbers in Hong Kong rose about 14 per cent during the Chinese New Year holiday but more residents left the city, while local retailers reported bumper sales of gold products. Some retailers reported single purchases worth millions of Hong Kong dollars within categories such as watches and jewellery, even as the broader retail recovery…
Hong Kong recorded a 13 per cent surge in visitors from mainland China during the Lunar New Year holiday, with the influx boosting jewellery sales by 10 per cent during the period despite a sharp rise in gold prices. Industry representatives said on Sunday that festive business had outperformed last year’s, though the recovery remained…
Hong Kong received 10 per cent more visitors during the Christmas period compared with last year, while Hongkongers made almost 1.7 million outbound trips, up 22 per cent over the same period, according to official statistics. However, the retail sector warned that the absence of New Year fireworks could affect the number of visitors in…
Christmas celebrations will be muted in Hong Kong following the city’s deadliest fire in seven decades, business leaders say, as they try to balance the need to generate revenue with public mourning for the 160 victims. After the inferno that tore through Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po on November 26, many parties, gatherings, concerts…
Hong Kong’s retail recovery accelerated in August with sales rising by 3.8 per cent year on year and for the fourth month in a row, as the city’s mega-event tourism drive has given a boost to consumer sentiment. Provisional figures released by the Census and Statistics Department on Thursday showed sales of HK$30.3 billion (US$3.9…
Hong Kong recorded a 5 per cent year-on-year rise in mainland Chinese visitors on the first day of the National Day “golden week” break, with industry leaders expecting more arrivals on Thursday and higher spending from long-haul travellers. Immigration figures showed a total of 558,431 inbound trips on Wednesday, marking a 1.27 per cent decrease…