Hong Kong retail sales hit highest since Apr 2022 in Jan after

 

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Hong Kong’s retail sales rose in January for second straight month, with sales value and volume both hitting the highest since Apr 2022, as easing epidemic control measures boosted consumer spending.

Retail sales grew 7% in January from a year earlier in value terms to HK$36.2 billion ($4.61 billion), compared to HK$33.7 billion in December, when retail sales grew 1.2% from a year earlier, according to data released by the government on Thursday.

In volume terms, retail sales in January rose 5.1% from a year earlier, compared with a revised 0.6% fall in December, showed the data.

Sales of jewellery, watches, clocks and valuable gifts, which before the pandemic were mostly to tourists from mainland China, jumped 23.1% from a year ago, following a 4.9% decline in December. Sales of clothing, footwear and accessories grew 14.7% on the year after a 0.9% rise in December.