Total retail sales value in September, provisionally estimated at $37.6 billion, increased 4.8% over a year earlier, the Census & Statistics Department announced today.
The revised estimate in August increased 3.5% year-on-year. For the first nine months of the year, total retail sales fell 0.4% over a year earlier.
After netting out the effect of price changes over the same period, the total retail sales volume in September increased 6.6% year-on-year. The revised estimate of the total retail sales volume in August increased 2.8% over a year earlier while that for the first nine months fell 0.3%.
The sales value of jewellery, watches and clocks, and valuable gifts rose 2.7% in September. This was followed by sales of commodities in supermarkets (+2.1% in value); wearing apparel (+7.9%); medicines and cosmetics (+9%); electrical goods and photographic equipment (+0.2%); other consumer goods, not elsewhere classified (+12.2%); miscellaneous consumer durable goods (+70.3%); motor vehicles and parts (+15%); fuels (+0.8%); footwear, allied products and other clothing accessories (+5.4%); books, newspapers, stationery and gifts (+8.9%); Chinese drugs and herbs (+0.4%); and optical shops (+7.6%).
The sales value of commodities in department stores fell 2.8% in the month. This was followed by sales of food, alcoholic drinks and tobacco (-9.1% in value); and furniture and fixtures (-4.4%).
The department said retail sales picked up in September, attaining the strongest year-on-year growth since January. The launch of some new smartphone models led to a surge in the sales of consumer durable goods in that month, and the sales of jewellery, watches and clocks, and valuable gifts also rebounded moderately.
The latest retail sales figures have yet to reflect the disruptions to the local consumption market caused by the Occupy Movement. The downside risks associated with the changing pattern in tourist spending will also linger. The Government will monitor the situation.
