Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the business of restaurants & similar establishments showed slight improvement in April 2020, with the proportion of interviewed establishments recording a year-on-year decline in receipts reducing by 9 percentage points from March to 88%. The corresponding proportions of Japanese & Korean Restaurants (72%), Local Style Cafes, Congee & Noodle Shops (86%) and Chinese Restaurants (91%) decreased by 22 percentage points, 12 percentage points and 9 percentage points respectively. Meanwhile, 5% of the interviewed establishments reported a year-on-year rise in receipts in April, an increase of 3 percentage points from the preceding month.

There was no significant change in retail sales performance in April. The proportion of interviewed retailers that registered a year-on-year sales decrease (87%) stayed at a similar level as in March. All of the interviewed retailers of Leather Goods, Watches, Clocks & Jewellery and Adults’ Clothing showed a year-on-year sales decline in April. The corresponding proportions of Cosmetics & Sanitary Articles Retailers (90%) and Department Stores (82%) fell by 10 percentage points and 9 percentage points respectively from March, whereas the share of Motor Vehicle Retailers (67%) grew by 22 percentage points. On the other hand, 10% of the interviewed retailers reported a year-on-year sales increase in April, the same proportion as in March. The corresponding share of Supermarkets remained unchanged at 89%.

As regards the business outlook for May, there were 38% of the interviewed restaurants & similar establishments and 50% of the retailers expecting a year-on-year decline of fifty percent or more in receipts, down by 18 percentage points and 11 percentage points respectively from April. Meanwhile, 19% of the interviewed restaurants & similar establishments and 22% of the interviewed retailers anticipated year-on-year growth in receipts or stable performance in May, representing increases of 15 percentage points and 7 percentage points respectively from 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 135 retailers (accounting for 70% of the industry’s receipts). The Survey results were not extrapolated and only reflect the assessment of the business performance and expectations of the sample restaurants and retailers.