Restaurants and flower shops anticipated slower revenue on Mother's Day due to lower customer traffic and rising costs overall.

Still, despite the rise in fuel costs, citizens continued to buy flowers at the Flower Market in Mong Kok for their wife or mother on Sunday.

Some said they spent about HK$300 on roses, while a child said he spent HK$460 on flowers for the celebration.

One flower shop owner said sales were slower than last year.

She said her shop saw about 20 to 30 percent fewer walk-in customers while numbers for online pre-orders were similar to last year's.

The cost for 10 carnations from the Netherlands rose from HK$80 to HK$110, but slower foot traffic held back further increases in sales price, she said.

The owner explained that rising oil prices have raised transportation costs for imported flowers.

"I've been ordering flowers here for 42 years. I wish my wife a happy Mother's Day and a good health," said a father surnamed Choi.

Choi said he spent HK$450 on flowers this year, slightly more than last year.

Choi reserved a restaurant in Central to celebrate the festival with his wife, children and grandchildren.

Meanwhile, Andy Lai, a restaurant representative expected slower business compared to last year.

Lai noted a change in consumers' consumption patterns, with fewer people celebrating the day in restaurants.

"As there is a serious increase in [costs for] ingredients, especially for seafood, because everything is shipped by air, and oil prices have risen drastically, we cannot cover the increase in food costs even if we increased the menu price by three percent," he said.

Lai said spending per person would be similar to last year, around HK$300 to HK$400.

In the morning of the festival, Chief Executive John Lee posted an AI-generated Mother's Day card on his social media to wish everyone a happy Mother's Day.

The card featured a written "Happy Mother's Day" message, a cartoon-style drawing of a family of four, including a couple and two sons, along with carnations in different colours and heart shapes.


Edited by Tony Sabine