Value of retail sales for month reaches HK$33.8 billion, helped by increase in visitor numbers
2-MIN READ2-MIN ListenWynna WongPublished: 5:00pm, 2 Jul 2026Updated: 5:04pm, 2 Jul 2026Hong Kong’s retail sales in May rose 7.9 per cent year on year, extending the streak of growth to 13 months, with the sector benefiting from an increase in visitor numbers amid mainland China’s Labour Day “golden week” holiday.The value of retail sales for the month reached HK$33.8 billion (US$4.3 billion), according to provisional figures released by the Census and Statistics Department on Thursday, compared with HK$31.3 billion in May 2025.
Retail sales for the first five months of the year rose by 10.6 per cent from the same period last year.
“The ongoing economic expansion and sustained growth in local labour earnings, together with continued increase in inbound visitors, should benefit the retail businesses,” a government spokesman said.
“The government will closely monitor the potential implications of the evolving external uncertainties on the local consumption market.”
During the five-day Labour Day holiday between May 1 and 5, Hong Kong welcomed more than 1.01 million mainland visitors, a 10 per cent rise from a year ago, exceeding government expectations.
