Strong inbound tourism and steady spending by local consumers delivered double-digit year-on-year growth to HKD39.9b in retail sales in June, accordingly to the latest figures from the Census and Statistics Department.
Jewellery, timepieces, and valuable gift sales saw the biggest year-on-year rise, surging 43.7%, followed by department store goods, up 29.2%, and optical shops, which saw a 24.5% increase.
On the downside, sales of motor vehicles and parts fell 14.8% compared to the year before. The outlook for July date is considerably lower than June as seasonal factors begin to influence spending patterns.
~ SCMP, August 2, 2013 ~