The value of total retail sales in August, provisionally estimated at US$3.7 billion, fell 23% year-on-year. The plunge reflected the weak consumer sentiment amid subdued economic conditions, and the severe disruptions to inbound tourism and consumption-related activities caused by the local social incidents.The Government said retail sales had registered the steepest year-on-year decline for a single month on record, even worse than that recorded in September 1998 during the Asian Financial Crisis. The Government will closely monitor the situation and the implications for the labor market and the economy.
Source: Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, New York.
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