Hong Kong September retail sales rise 6.4% year-on-year, 17th straight month of growth
Hong Kong's September retail sales value rose 6.4% year-on-year, marking the 17th consecutive month of expansion, according to provisional government data. Online sales surged 12.0% year-on-year. The government attributed the growth to a broad-based recovery, early Mid-Autumn Festival tourism, and s
The Hong Kong government's provisional estimates for September 2026 show the total retail sales value at HK$33.4 billion, a 6.4 per cent increase compared with September 2025. This marks the 17th consecutive month of expansion, according to a government spokesman. The revised estimate for August 2026 showed a 5.6 per cent year-on-year rise. For the first nine months of 2026 combined, the provisional total retail sales value rose 8.3 per cent compared with the same period in 2025.
Online sales accounted for 13.1 per cent of total retail sales value in September 2026. The provisional estimate for online retail sales value was HK$4.4 billion, up 12.0 per cent year-on-year. The revised figure for August 2026 showed a 9.9 per cent increase. For the first nine months of 2026 combined, online retail sales value rose 21.2 per cent year-on-year.
After adjusting for price changes, the provisional estimate for total retail sales volume in September 2026 rose 3.9 per cent compared with the same month in 2025. The revised figure for August 2026 showed a 2.9 per cent increase. For the first nine months of 2026 combined, total retail sales volume rose 5.9 per cent year-on-year.
Analysing by major retail category, the provisional estimates for September 2026 compared with a year earlier showed increases in electrical goods and other durable consumer goods (up 9.7 per cent); jewellery, watches and valuable gifts (up 20.3 per cent); other non-classified consumer goods (up 11.5 per cent); food, alcoholic drinks and tobacco (up 5.3 per cent); medicines and cosmetics (up 9.0 per cent); clothing (up 11.1 per cent); footwear and related products (up 12.4 per cent); furniture and fixtures (up 9.0 per cent); and optical goods (up 14.6 per cent).
On the other hand, categories that saw declines in September 2026 year-on-year included supermarket goods (down 1.0 per cent); department store goods (down 4.1 per cent); books, stationery and gifts (down 0.5 per cent); fuel (down 3.1 per cent); motor vehicles and parts (down 34.7 per cent); and Chinese medicines (down 3.0 per cent).
Seasonally adjusted figures for the third quarter of 2026 compared with the second quarter showed a provisional decline of 0.1 per cent in total retail sales value and a provisional decline of 0.2 per cent in total retail sales volume.
The government spokesman said the sales growth was broad-based, reflecting a generally stable local consumption sentiment. The early arrival of the Mid-Autumn Festival in 2026 boosted visitor arrivals and festive goods sales. The spokesman added that sustained economic expansion, employment income growth, a series of upcoming events, and continued growth in inbound tourism would support retail momentum. The government will continue to monitor potential impacts of external adverse factors on the local consumer market.