Shop 'til you drop - army from up north invades HK malls

Shopping is the way Chinese like to celebrate the birth of their nation. So as the National Day 'golden week' holiday began yesterday, mainland tourists flocked to the city armed with money and shopping bags.

The Tourism Board predicts Hong Kong will host up to 760,000 mainland visitors through the week - up 30 per cent on last year - with retailers expecting double-digit growth in turnover.

That optimism was borne out early yesterday afternoon when a group of 40 Shenzhen tourists filled the corridors of a shopping mall in Causeway Bay, spending a total of HK$300,000, or HK$7,500 per person, in WTC More.

Phoebe Chen, 28, spent HK$12,000 on cosmetic products, clothes and a bag. Her husband Li was looking for electronic products including the Play Station 3 gaming device. 'I did my homework, planning what to buy before coming.'

Although the couple had heard of the 'Bus Auntie' incident - tour guide Li Hau-chun caught on a video scolding her clients for not shopping enough- their enthusiasm for visiting Hong Kong had not been dampened.

Emmy Leung Yuen-shan, of Sun Hung Kai Real Estate Agency's leasing department, predicted WTC More would see 550,000 visitors this year, up 22 per cent from last year. Sales would reach HK$16 million, up 27 per cent from last year.