Retailers report boost in foot traffic as ‘Night Vibes Hong Kong’ campaign gathers pace
- K11 Group behind shopping centre in Tsim Sha Tsui says weekend footfall traffic up 30 per cent over previous one due to launch of ‘Night Market by the Sea’
- Restaurant sector leader Simon Wong predicts smooth launch of night market along Wan Chai promenade given enthusiasm of businesses
Retailers have reported a boost in foot traffic during the first salvo of a campaign to revitalise Hong Kong’s nighttime economy, ahead of the launch of a market along the Wan Chai promenade on Wednesday.
The K11 Group, which operates the Tsim Sha Tsui shopping centre K11 Musea, on Tuesday said footfall from Friday to Sunday was up 30 per cent compared with the previous weekend due to the launch of “Night Market by the Sea”, a locally themed bazaar offering street food along the adjoining promenade, on September 22.
The company said it anticipated further growth as the night market, which will be held every Friday and Saturday until October 14, heads into the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holiday on October 1.
The event was one of the first to launch as part of the government’s “Night Vibes Hong Kong” campaign, aimed at invigorating the city’s night economy.
As for a night market along the Wan Chai promenade scheduled to begin on Wednesday, Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades president Simon Wong Ka-wo predicted the launch would have “no problems” given the enthusiasm of the sector.
“The government has arranged for a variety of vendors and performers to participate in the market, so I believe it will attract spending by the public,” he said.
The Fire Services Department announced last week it would “fully cooperate” with the government’s night activities campaign, and that open-fire cooking would be allowed at stalls provided the operators complied with protection requirements, such as providing extinguishers and installing barriers.
“Of course this arrangement is much better, because it wouldn’t work any other way,” Wong said, explaining alternatives such as electric stoves would not be feasible as the location did not have electrical outlets.
He added the mandated equipment also did not require “too big of an investment”, which would encourage more vendors to take part.
At the launch of the “Night Vibes” campaign earlier this month, Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho said most vendors and performers for the city’s three scheduled night markets in Wan Chai, Kwun Tong and Kennedy Town, would not be charged rent or would enjoy some degree of subsidies.
“Initially, when it seemed like they were charging HK$12,000, it really was quite a burden for those small and medium-sized businesses,” Wong said. “Now with such exemptions, the participation rate has improved quite a lot.”
But he said businesses taking part still faced challenges, including hiring extra staff to work late into the night, logistical arrangements, and bad weather risks since the event was outdoors.
“I think getting enough vendors to participate is already a good start. It is difficult to estimate how popular or well received the markets will be,” he said. “I do hope the market can become a more long-term event so people can associate Wan Chai with this activity.”
The night market is scheduled to last 16 days, operating from 3pm till midnight, while food will be sold from 6pm to 11pm.
Organisers have promised a “vintage vibe” with Hong Kong-style street foods such as Chinese pastries, skewered snacks and craft beers, as well as activities like fortune-telling, flour doll crafting and shadow puppet shows.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Tuesday morning expressed his gratitude to various sectors for responding to the government’s call to take part in its night economy campaign.
“The array of activities reflects the boundless creativity of Hong Kong people, while various government departments like the Fire Services Department have provided feasible operational arrangements to cooperate,” he said.
