The provisional estimate of total retail sales value in Hong Kong in August was HK$30.3 billion, up 3.8% year on year

The Zhitong Finance App learned that on October 2, the Statistics Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government published the latest retail sales figures. The provisional estimate of total retail sales value for August 2025 was HK$30.3 billion, up 3.8% from the same month of 2024. The revised estimate for total retail sales value in July 2025 was 1.8% higher than in the same month of 2024. Compared with the same period in 2024, the provisional estimate of the total retail sales value for the first eight months of 2025 fell 1.9%.

Online sales accounted for 8.4% of the total retail sales value in August 2025. The provisional estimated retail online sales value for the month was 2.6 billion yuan, up 8.9% from the same month of 2024. The revised retail online sales value for July 2025 is estimated to have increased 13.3% compared to the same month of 2024. Compared with the same period in 2024, the total retail online sales value for the first eight months of 2025 is estimated to have increased by 3.0%.

After deducting price changes during this period, the provisional estimate for total retail sales volume for August 2025 increased by 3.2% compared to the same month of 2024. The revised estimate for total retail sales volume in July 2025 was 0.9% higher than in the same month of 2024. Compared with the same period in 2024, a provisional estimate of total retail sales volume for the first eight months of 2025 fell by 3.1%.

Provisional estimates of sales value by major retailer categories were analyzed from highest to lowest. Compared between August 2025 and August 2024, the sales value of jewellery, watches and luxury gifts increased by 16.4%. This was followed by other unclassified consumer goods (up 14.2% in sales value); pharmaceuticals and cosmetics (up 5.0%); clothing (up 3.1%); electrical appliances and other unclassified durable consumer goods (up 0.4%); department store goods (up 1.9%); footwear, related products and other clothing accessories (up 0.8%); traditional Chinese medicine (up 0.5%); and optical stores (up 5.7%).

On the other hand, compared with August 2025 and the same month of 2024, the sales value of supermarket products decreased by 0.8%. This was followed by food, alcohol and tobacco (sales value down 3.6%); automobiles and auto parts (down 8.9%); fuel (down 11.4%); books, newspapers, stationery and gifts (down 1.3%); and furniture and fixtures (down 3.9%).

In the three months ending August 2025, compared with the previous three months, the provisional estimated seasonally adjusted total retail sales value increased by 0.3%, while the seasonally adjusted provisional estimate of total retail sales volume decreased by 0.3%.

A government spokesman said retail performance improved in August. Total retail sales value increased by a further 3.8% year over year, the fourth consecutive month of growth.

Looking ahead, the spokesperson said that the stabilizing local consumption climate, along with the continued increase in the number of visitors to Hong Kong, and the active promotion of tourism and event projects by the government, should support the retail business.