Retail sales in Hong Kong increased by 2.9% year-on-year in August 2026, up from a revised 2.4% in July and registering the strongest growth since May. Sales of consumer durable goods rose sharply (13.4% vs 2.5% in July), driven in particular by electrical goods (28.5% vs 11.6%). Growth also strengthened for food, alcoholic drinks and tobacco (1.5% vs 1.2%), as well as for other consumer goods (6.2% vs 5.5%).
In addition, sales returned to growth at supermarkets (1.5% vs -0.1%) and for clothing, footwear and allied products (0.3% vs -2.1%), while the decline in fuel sales narrowed (-24.2% vs -27.8%). By contrast, sales fell in the categories of jewellery, watches and clocks, and valuable gifts (-1.6% vs 9.6%), as well as at department stores (-2.8% vs 0.3%).
On a month-on-month basis, retail sales climbed 2.9% in August, reversing a 0.9% drop in July.
