HONG KONG – The value of total retail sales in Hong Kong in September, provisionally estimated at HK$31.3 billion, was up 5.9 percent year-on-year, according to the Census and Statistics Department.

Data issued by the department on Friday show that the provisional estimate for the month was 4.8 percent higher year-on-year after netting out the effect of price changes over the same period.

Pointing out that the retail sector accelerated further from the increase in the preceding month, a government spokesman said most broad retail outlet types registered varying degrees of growth in sales.

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Online sales accounted for 12.5 percent of the total retail sales figure for September. The value of online retail sales – provisionally estimated at HK$3.9 billion – rose 27.3 percent compared with a year earlier.

The value of sales of electrical goods and other consumer durable goods not elsewhere classified increased by 31.3 percent, according to the data.

There were also increases in the value of sales in the following categories: supermarkets (+2 percent); jewelry, watches and clocks, and valuable gifts (+9.1 percent); food, alcoholic drinks and tobacco (+3.9 percent); medicines and cosmetics (+7.6 percent); commodities in department stores (+2.8 percent); and optical shops (+1.5 percent).

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By contrast, the value of sales of wearing apparel decreased by 5.4 percent in the month. Also down were sales of motor vehicles and parts (-4.1 percent); books, newspapers, stationery, and gifts (-5.3 percent); fuels (-13.4 percent); footwear, allied product,s and other clothing accessories (-10.2 percent); furniture and fixtures (-17.3 percent); and Chinese drugs and herbs (-2.4 percent).

Looking ahead, the government spokesman said improving local consumer sentiment and sustained growth in inbound tourism should continue to render support to retail businesses.