Total retail sales rebounds, up 11.7% in April in face of local outbreak

The value of total retail sales was estimated at $30.2b.

In the wake of the local epidemic situation, the total retail sales increased by 11.7% in April this year, compared with the same period in 2021, the Census and Statistics Department revealed.

After netting out the effect of price changes over the same period, the provisional estimate of the volume of total retail sales for the month went up 8.1% on a yearly basis.

Of the total retail sales value in April, online sales accounted for 8.2%. Provisionally estimated at $2.5b, the online retail sales rose 34.8% compared with 2021 figures.

The value of commodities sales in supermarkets grew by 5.8%, followed by “electrical goods and other consumer durable goods, not elsewhere classified (+40.9%); other consumer goods not elsewhere classified (+11.5%); jewellery, watches and clocks, and valuable gifts (+13.9%); food, alcoholic drinks and tobacco (+4%); commodities in department stores (+10.7%); medicines and cosmetics (+18.5%); furniture and fixtures (+27.5%); footwear, allied products and other clothing accessories (+13.2%); Chinese drugs and herbs (+27.1%); and optical shops (+17.2%).”

Meanwhile, the value of sales of clothing was down by 0.3% in April over a year earlier, followed by sales of motor vehicles and parts (-1.4%), and books, newspapers, stationery and gifts (-10.5%).

The value of retail sales had rebounded in April after two consecutive months of decrease amidst the receding epidemic and disbursement of the first batch of consumption vouchers, said the government.

Moving forward, the government said the retail sector must continue to recover as the local epidemic remains stable.