(Combating New Crown Pneumonia) Hong Kong's retail industry is in "cold cold" February total sales value hit the largest monthly decline
China News Agency, Hong Kong, March 31 (Reporter Zhuo Long) Hong Kong's retail industry is being blocked by the "severe cold". The value of total retail sales in February this year was the largest monthly drop on record, dropping 13 in a row. month. The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Lin Zhengyue, said on March 31 that it would use tens of billions of dollars (HK $, the same below) to launch the second round of "epidemic prevention and anti-epidemic fund" to provide appropriate assistance to the hot industry and its employees.
On March 31, statistics released by the Census and Statistics Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government showed that the provisional value of total retail sales in February this year was 22.7 billion yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 44%.
Since February last year, under the influence of external uncertainties, local social events and the current epidemic of new pneumonia, the retail industry in Hong Kong has worsened, and the total value of sales has recorded a significant monthly decline.
Among them, from June last year to February this year, the decline has accelerated significantly, with year-on-year declines of 6.7%, 11.5%, 22.9%, 18.2%, 24.4%, 23.7%, 19.4%, 21.5%, and 44%. Compared with the same period of last year, the temporary estimate of the total retail sales value of the first two months of this year fell by 31.8%.
Statistics also show that after deducting price changes, the temporary estimate of total retail sales in February this year fell 46.7% year-on-year, and the temporary estimate of total retail sales in the first two months of this year fell 33.9% year-on-year.
A spokesman for the SAR government said that even if the Lunar New Year had some impact at different times, the sharp decline mainly reflected the severe blow to the tourism and consumption-related activities caused by the epidemic.
A government spokesman further pointed out that the global pandemic of the new crown pneumonia epidemic has stopped the inbound tourism industry and severely weakened local consumer demand, and the business environment of the retail industry will remain extremely severe in the short term.
The Hong Kong Retail Management Association Chairman Xie Qiu Anyi analyzed that the value of total retail sales in February this year returned to 2006-07 levels. It is expected that the situation in March will be similar to that in February, and consumer demand will remain weak, with a drop of about 35% to 45% expected.
Hong Kong's retail industry is in the midst of a "chill". Lin Zheng Yue'e said earlier in the day that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government fully understands the difficulties faced by the catering and retail industries in this unprecedented blow. The second round of the Epidemic Prevention and Epidemic Prevention Fund provided appropriate assistance to the hot industries and their employees. The government will quickly start relevant work, hoping to respond appropriately as soon as possible, so that businesses can be assured that employees do not need to be laid off.
Given that rents are an important part of the operating costs of the catering and retail industry, Lam Cheng Yuet had previously met with the Hong Kong Real Estate Developers Association and hoped that they would reduce rents during this difficult period. She learned that the owners of some businesses had reduced rents.
Lin Zhengyue again appealed to the shop owners to provide rent relief to tenants in the spirit of sharing the difficult times, and she would also ask the government department responsible for renting out shops to review the space for further rent reduction. (Finish)