Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that 35% of the interviewed restaurants & similar establishments recorded a year-on-year decline in receipts in April, a decrease of 1 percentage point from March. The corresponding proportions of Japanese & Korean Restaurants (22%) and Western Restaurants (16%) reduced by 13 percentage points and 11 percentage points respectively, indicating an improvement in business performance. On the other hand, 28% of the interviewed establishments reported a year-on-year rise in receipts in April, down by 2 percentage points from March. The corresponding share of Western Restaurants (42%) dropped by 11 percentage points.

Retail trade business was less satisfactory in April, with half of the interviewed retailers registering a year-on-year sales decrease, up by 5 percentage points from the preceding month. The corresponding proportions of Watches, Clocks & Jewellery Retailers (78%) and Department Stores (46%) grew by 22 percentage points and 18 percentage points respectively, while the share of Motor Vehicle Retailers (60%) fell by 20 percentage points. Meanwhile, the proportion of interviewed retailers reporting a year-on-year increase in sales dropped by 7 percentage points from March to 27%. The corresponding proportion of Leather Goods Retailers (40%) declined by 40 percentage points.

Benefited from the extended Labour Day holiday of mainland China and other factors in May, the interviewed restaurants & similar establishments expected a slight improvement in business, with 24% of them anticipating a year-on-year rise in receipts, up by 6 percentage points from April. Among the various types of interviewed establishments, 32% of the Chinese Restaurants forecasted a year-on-year increase in receipts in May, a growth of 13 percentage points from April. On the other hand, the proportion of establishments predicting a year-on-year decline in receipts decreased by 7 percentage points to 27%.

Retailers expected no significant improvement in their business in May, with 65% of them anticipating their sales to increase year-on-year or remain steady, a 3 percentage point drop from April. Among the interviewed retailers, 73% of the Department Stores and 44% of the Watches, Clocks & Jewellery Retailers forecasted a year-on-year sales rise or steady performance in May, down by 18 percentage points and 17 percentage points respectively from April; however, the corresponding share of Adults’ Clothing Retailers rose by 5 percentage points to 70%. Meanwhile, all of the interviewed Supermarkets and Leather Goods Retailers predicted a year-on-year sales rise or stable performance in May, the same proportions as in April.

The sample of the Business Climate Survey on Restaurants & Similar Establishments and Retail Trade was selected based on the value of receipts of the establishments, comprising 186 restaurants & similar establishments (accounting for 53% of the industry’s receipts) and 136 retailers (accounting for 70% of the industry’s receipts) after rotating some of the samples. The Survey results were not extrapolated and only reflect the assessment of the business performance and expectations of the sample restaurants and retailers.