Hong Kong's retail sales up mildly from January to February

HONG KONG, March 30 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong's retail sales went up mildly by 2.7 percent from a year ago in the January-February period, official data showed Tuesday.

Official data also showed that retail sales in February surged 30 percent compared with the same month in 2020.

Sales of products from electrical goods to jewelry and wearing apparel registered year-on-year growth in the first two months of 2021, according to a statement of the Census and Statistics Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government.

But sales of goods including food, alcoholic drinks, tobacco, medicines and cosmetics still witnessed decreases.

A government spokesman said the retail trade will continue to face a difficult business environment in the near term as inbound tourism remains frozen.

"It is thus pivotal to put the epidemic under control at the soonest possible, so as to create a favorable environment for the revival of cross-boundary tourism activities," he said.

The spokesman said the retail sales jump in February reflected the distortion caused by the Lunar New Year and a low base due to the COVID-19 outbreak last year.