The value of total retail sales in April, provisionally estimated at $24.1 billion, fell 36.1% compared with the same month in 2019, the Census & Statistics Department announced today.

After netting out the effect of price changes over the same period, the volume of total retail sales decreased 37.5% year-on-year.

The value of sales of commodities in department stores decreased 18%.

This was followed by sales of food, alcoholic drinks and tobacco (-14% in value); other consumer goods, not elsewhere classified (-28.6%); electrical goods and other consumer durable goods, not elsewhere classified (-21.7%); wearing apparel (-63.6%); medicines and cosmetics (-62.9%); jewellery, watches and clocks, and valuable gifts (-76.6%); motor vehicles and parts (-19.2%); fuels (-14.1%); books, newspapers, stationery and gifts (-39.9%); footwear, allied products and other clothing accessories (-55.6%); Chinese drugs and herbs (-35.3%); and optical shops (-43.2%).

The value of sales of commodities in supermarkets increased 14.4% for the period. This was followed by sales of furniture and fixtures (+1.6%).

The Government said that the year-on-year decline in retail sales remained huge in April, reflecting the still-severe disruptions of COVID-19 and the necessary anti-epidemic measures to consumption and tourism-related activities.

While the epidemic has abated in Hong Kong, the business environment for retail trade remains challenging as COVID-19 has brought inbound tourism to a standstill, and as austere labour market conditions and various uncertainties continue to weigh on consumption sentiment.

The Government will monitor the developments closely.