Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that, benefiting from the sales boom in the Lunar New Year, value of retail sales for the first quarter of 2018 increased by 25.7% year-on-year to MOP20.74 billion. As compared with the revised figure (MOP19.08 billion) in the fourth quarter of 2017, value of retail sales rose by 8.7%. In the first quarter, Watches, Clocks & Jewellery accounted for 21.1% of the total retail sales, followed by Goods in Department Stores (16.0%), Adults' Clothing (14.1%), Leather Goods (12.9%) and Goods in Supermarkets (5.7%).
As regards changes in sales value of major retail activities, Communication Equipment soared by 119.3% year-on-year, and Motor Vehicles (+45.6%), Leather Goods (+37.1%), Adults' Clothing (+36.5%) and Goods in Department Stores (+33.8%) also showed notable increases.
After removing the effect of price changes, volume of retail sales increased by 23.0% year-on-year in the first quarter, with significant growth in the sales volume of Communication Equipment (+129.2%), Motor Vehicles (+42.6%), Leather Goods (+31.5%) and Adults' Clothing (+30.0%); meanwhile, sales volume of Goods in Supermarkets (-1.5%) registered a decrease.
In comparison with the previous quarter, sales value of Leather Goods, Communication Equipment and Goods in Department Stores rose by 17.8%, 17.7% and 15.1% respectively in the first quarter of 2018, while that of Motor Vehicles (-12.5%) and Automotive Fuels (-1.6%) dropped. Meanwhile, volume of retail sales increased by 8.3% quarter-to-quarter, of which sales volume of Communication Equipment (+19.4%), Leather Goods (+14.6%) and Goods in Department Stores (+13.6%) showed greater increases, while that of Motor Vehicles (-13.1%) and Automotive Fuels (-3.8%) declined.
In respect of retailers’ comments, 56.7% of the retailers anticipated the sales volume in the second quarter of 2018 to be stable year-on-year, 28.6% forecasted a decrease and 14.7% expected an increase. Meanwhile, 71.5% of the retailers anticipated the retail prices to remain steady year-on-year in the second quarter of 2018, 17.2% expected an increase and 11.3% predicted a decrease. As compared with the first quarter of 2018, 55.3% of the retailers anticipated a stable business performance in the second quarter of 2018, 32.7% expected the business to worsen and 12.0% predicted an improvement.