Hong Kong retail sales rise 7.3 per cent in September as e-voucher scheme boosts consumer confidence
- September sales jump to HK$28 billion, boosted by rising consumer confidence from digital voucher scheme
- In first nine months of year, online transactions leapt 8 per cent from same period in 2020
Provisional figures released by the Census and Statistics Department on Tuesday showed sales for the month jumped to HK$28 billion.
A government spokesman said consumer confidence had been boosted by the scheme, which has granted each eligible Hong Kong resident HK$5,000 worth of e-vouchers in stages since August.
“The stable local epidemic and improving employment and income conditions, together with the consumption voucher scheme, should remain supportive to the retail sector in the near term,” he said. “However, the virtually frozen inbound tourism will continue to constrain the extent of revival.”
The government also revised the estimate for August retail sales to an 11.9 per cent increase from a year earlier. In the first nine months of 2021, retail sales soared 8 per cent from the corresponding period last year.
