Hong Kong's August retail sales up 5.6 pct, marking 16th straight month of growth

HONG KONG, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong's provisional estimate of total retail sales value for August stood at 32.1 billion Hong Kong dollars (about 4.09 billion U.S. dollars), up 5.6 percent year on year, official data showed Friday.

In August, online sales came in at 2.8 billion Hong Kong dollars, rising 9.9 percent year on year and accounting for 8.7 percent of the total retail sales value. The value of sales of jewellery, watches and clocks, and valuable gifts recorded an increase of 11.9 percent year on year, data from the Census and Statistics Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government showed.

A spokesperson for the HKSAR government said that total retail sales value grew at an accelerated pace in August, marking the 16th consecutive month of expansion.

Sustained economic expansion and rising labor earnings should support local consumption sentiment and spending, the spokesperson said, adding that continued growth in visitor arrivals and a series of upcoming mega-events should further inject vibrancy into the retail sector.