Hong Kong retail rents will continue to fall in next year, says brokerage

In more than three decades in Hong Kong’s real estate industry, Sheraton Valuers’ Michael Chik Pa-fai has seen a number of up and down cycles. With retail sales falling, the managing director of the retail property-focused brokerage expects the slump in retail rents to last for at least a year before the market finds its bottom.

Q: We saw street shop rents falling sharply in Causeway Bay and Central in the last quarter. Will the falls stop?

A: I do not think so. The falling trend began when luxury brand Coach terminated the leasing contract of its Central shop due to slow sales of luxury goods. Adidas will now move into the three-storey shop for lower rent. The fall led to a domino effect and extended the pressure to Causeway Bay in the third quarter, and it will spread to Tsim Sha Tsui soon.

There are still a number of shops vacant in Causeway Bay, such as those in the second-tier street Percival Street. One landlord of a Percival Street shop wanted to rent out his shop with a monthly asking rent of HK$450,000 in May this year, but no one showed interest. The shop was recently sold and the new owner cut the asking rent to HK$300,000 a month but so far it has not found a tenant.

In Central’s China Building at 29 Queen’s Road Central, landlord Cheung Kong Property Holdings is still looking for a tenant to fill the vacant space after Italian brand Baldinini left at the end of July. Baldinini rented shops three to five on the ground floor as its Hong Kong flagship store at the beginning of this year. It moved in after Asia Commercial Holdings’ shop that traded Rolex luxury watches moved out.

Q: Are there any tenants still planning to leave before leases expire?

A: There are quite a lot. When retail sales were good and mainland tourists rushed to visit Hong Kong, retailers opened more than one shop on one street. Now they are considering closing the worst-performing ones. The lease of Puyi Optical’s shop at 116-120 Canton Road will expire next month. It is understood that it won’t renew the lease because it has another shop on the same street.