Vendors at Hong Kong’s largest outdoor product fair grapple with slow sales amid cross-border shopping boom

Thousands flocked to 57th Hong Kong Brands and Products Expo day before it closes, but some vendors reported weaker-than-expected sales

‘Footfall picked up during free-admission at night in the past few days, but it was quiet last week. Residents travelling abroad had an impact,’ stall operator says

3-MIN READ3-MIN

Cans of abalone generated strong sales at the Hong Kong Brands and Products Expo, despite lukewarm business, according to a vendor. Photo: Yik Yeung-man

Published: 8:00pm, 7 Jan 2024Updated: 8:44pm, 7 Jan 2024

Some vendors at Hong Kong’s largest outdoor product fair have said they are feeling the effects of a weak economy and a wave of bargain hunters heading over the border, noting that sales had fallen from previous years despite the hefty discounts on offer.

Thousands of people flocked to the 57th Hong Kong Brands and Products Expo in Causeway Bay’s Victoria Park on Sunday, in the hopes of capitalising on last-minute deals before the event wrapped up a day later.

The 24-day expo has hosted 400 exhibitors and more than 900 booths offering big discounts on food, home appliances and health supplements. The deli section had also returned after four years of pandemic restrictions.

Shoppers hunt for bargains on the second to last day of the expo. Photo: Yik Yeung-man

Allen Shi Lop-tak, president of the Chinese Manufacturers’ Association of Hong Kong, which organised the event, said many renowned local brands had rejoined the expo, while foot traffic and business activity had managed to surpass pre-Covid levels.

“I don’t have the figures yet as the expo will end on Monday,” he said. “But exhibitors told me the overall vibe is good and business went pretty well.”

But Kelvin Lee Chun-hei, assistant sales manager at the Good Point Food Company, said business activity had fallen by an estimated 10 per cent from the previous year, even as cheaper items such as canned abalone generated more sales.

The company’s bestseller was a goodie bags going for HK$200 (US$25.6) that included 10 cans of abalone, a cup of turtle herbal jelly, a portion of eight treasure congee and 200 grams of mushrooms, he said.