Retail sales up 3.8% in August

Online sales made up 8.4% of total sales

Hong Kong’s total retail sales in August 2025 reached $30.3b, up 3.8% from a year earlier, as per the Census and Statistics Department.

Revised figures show sales in July rose 1.8% year-on-year. For the first eight months of 2025, retail sales were down 1.9% compared with the same period in 2024.

Online sales made up 8.4% of total sales in August, valued at $2.6b, an 8.9% increase from last year. From January to August, online sales rose 3.0% year-on-year.

By category, sales of jewellery, watches, clocks and valuable gifts recorded the strongest growth in August (+16.4%), followed by other consumer goods (+14.2%), optical shops (+5.7%), medicines and cosmetics (+5.0%), and wearing apparel (+3.1%).

Declines were seen in motor vehicles and parts (-8.9%), fuels (-11.4%), food, alcoholic drinks and tobacco (-3.6%), and furniture and fixtures (-3.9%).

In volume terms, retail sales increased 3.2% in August year-on-year, but fell 3.1% over the first eight months of 2025. Seasonally adjusted, the value of sales in the three months to August rose 0.3%, whilst volume fell 0.3%.

A government spokesman said retail sales grew for the fourth straight month in August and are expected to remain supported by stable consumer sentiment, tourism growth, and government promotions of mega events.