The government on Monday said Hong Kong’s retail performance remained resilient in July, as the value of total retail sales rose by 4.5 percent from a year earlier to HK$31 billion.

This marks the 15th straight month of expansion in retail sales.

According to the latest figures released by the Census and Statistics Department, online sales accounted for 9.1 percent of the total value in July.

The value of online sales reached HK$2.8 billion for the month, surging by 9.5 percent compared with July 2025.

The city also recorded a nearly 20 percent rise in the sales of jewellery, watches and clocks, and valuable gifts last month compared to a year earlier.

A government spokesman said the city observed stronger growth in online retail sales, suggesting a shift toward consumption through digital channels.

The spokesman added that continued economic expansion, rising household incomes and stable labour market, as well as a series of upcoming mega events, are expected to boost retail businesses.

However, Annie Yau Tse, chairwoman of the Hong Kong Retail Management Association, said the retail performance in July was not too satisfactory because of rainy weather and increased outbound travel by Hong Kong residents.

“We have very bad weather in July – a lot of rain signals, thunderstorms and even typhoon. Because of that bad weather condition, it really affected people coming into Hong Kong, especially from the mainland,” she said.

“And also, summer time is the time for Hong Kong people to go outbound for travelling.

“So it’s double hit – we are losing local people and at the same time, because of the weather, we cannot achieve as many tourists as we can in July.”

She went on to say that the retail performance in August was still below retailers’ expectations, despite an improvement in the weather.

Many Hong Kong people were still travelling outside the SAR, while inbound tourists did not spend too much in the city, she explained.


Edited by Aaron Tam