Local retailers have cried foul amid a rising trend of Hongkongers “heading north” across the border for shopping and entertainment, with mainland tourists traveling to the city tightening their purse strings.
Annie Tse Yau On-yee, chairman of the Hong Kong Retail Management Association, said the Dragon Boat Festival holiday did not give the city’s retail sector a boost, adding that the sector is in deep water with such low consumption.
She said due to the continuous outbound travel of Hong Kong residents and reduced tourist arrivals, the local market has recorded a double-digit decline in business compared to last year.
Additionally, she observed that some tourists visiting Hong Kong are no longer carrying luggage on arrival, suggesting that the primary purpose of their visit is sightseeing rather than shopping.
Tse noted that the local market and tourist behavior have undergone significant changes in sales habits and travel patterns, and that the industry should jump out of the box and strengthen cooperation by integrating various elements of “food, entertainment, shopping, and accommodation,” leveraging synergistic effects.
She also emphasized the importance of utilizing technology, including big data and artificial intelligence, to understand customer preferences and consumption habits, in order to tailor promotional campaigns for different target customer groups.
The association, meanwhile, will roll out a second edition of the Hong Kong Shopping Festival to retain people to spend locally and for tourists to visit, Tse added.
Hong Kong United Times丨香港聯合時報丨HKUT 