The total retail sales value in August was $17.9 billion, up 8.3% over a year earlier, the Census & Statistics Department says. After netting out the effect of price changes over the same period, the overall retail sales volume rose 6.4%.

The department said improving employment conditions, sustained rise in household income and the pause in US interest-rate hikes all served to boost consumer confidence.

Looking ahead, the strong consumer sentiment and vibrant inbound tourism should continue to bode well for the local retail trade, it added.

The volume of motor vehicles and parts sales increased most, by 27.7%. This was followed by sales of electrical goods and photographic equipment (12.4% in volume); commodities in department stores (11.4%); fuels (7.7%); furniture and fixtures (7.4%); miscellaneous consumer goods (7.1%); miscellaneous consumer durable goods (5.9%); footwear, allied products and other clothing accessories (5.7%); food, alcoholic drinks and tobacco (5.2%); wearing apparel (3.9%); and commodities in supermarkets (3.1%).

The volume of sales of jewellery, watches and clocks, and valuable gifts dropped 4.8% in August over a year earlier.

Total retail sales in July up 7.1%

The revised estimate of the value of total retail sales in July was $18.7 billion, up 7.1% over a year earlier, while the volume of total retail sales rose 5.2%.

Based on the seasonally adjusted series, the volume of total retail sales rose 0.6% in the three months ending August compared with the preceding three-month period.