2026.02.0308:43:13UTC+00Hong Kong Retail Sales Pick Up

In December 2025, Hong Kong experienced a 5.1% year-on-year increase in retail sales, improving from the previous month's three-month low of 4.1%. However, declines persisted in categories such as food, alcoholic beverages, and tobacco (down 0.4% compared to a 0.1% decrease in November) and fuels (a significant drop of 22.3% versus 17%). The sectors for clothing and footwear saw a reduction (down 7.6% from a previous increase of 1.6%), and department stores also reported a decrease (-3.3% compared to a 3.1% rise). Sales momentum slowed for various other consumer goods, registering a 4.7% rise, down from 5.2%. Conversely, there was a rebound in supermarket sales, which rose 0.6% after a 3.5% decline, and a recovery in jewelry, watches, clocks, and valuable gifts, showing a modest increase of 1.2%, bouncing back from a 5.9% decrease. Additionally, there was a notable acceleration in the sale of consumer durable goods, which surged by 39.6%, up from 27.6%. On a month-to-month basis, retail activity saw a 3.9% increase, rebounding from the previous month’s 4.1% decline.