Hong Kong Business News

The value of total retail sales for January, provisionally estimated at $37.3 billion, rose 5.5% compared with the same month in 2025, the Census & Statistics Department announced today.

After netting out the effect of price changes over the same period, the provisional estimate for the month was 3.4% higher year-on-year.

Online sales accounted for 8.1% of the total retail sales figure for the month. Provisionally estimated at $3 billion, the value of online retail sales rose 25.1% compared with a year earlier.

Meanwhile, the value of sales of other consumer goods not elsewhere classified increased by 3.5% while jewellery, watches and clocks, and valuable gifts increased by 31.1% year-on-year.

There were also increases in the value of sales in the following categories: electrical goods and other consumer durable goods not elsewhere classified (+38.7%); wearing apparel (+5.7%); medicines and cosmetics (+1.3%); motor vehicles and parts (+18.5%); furniture and fixtures (+16.4%); books, newspapers, stationery and gifts (+4.6%); and optical shops (+8.5%).

By contrast, the value of sales of commodities in supermarkets decreased by 5%. Also down were sales of food, alcoholic drinks and tobacco (-10.5%); commodities in department stores (-11.1%); fuels (-17.5%); footwear, allied products and other clothing accessories (-19.9%); and Chinese drugs and herbs (-8.1%).

The Government said the recovery momentum of the retail sector sustained, notwithstanding that the year-on-year comparison in January this year was weighed against a higher base due to the early arrival of the Lunar New Year last year. On a seasonally adjusted comparison, the value of total retail sales increased visibly in January over the preceding month.

Looking ahead, the Government considered that the robust economic growth momentum and the sustained growth in inbound visitors will continue to underpin local consumption, thereby benefiting retail businesses.