Hong Kong catering sector banking on 2-month shopping festival to bring 20 per cent business surge as part of July 1 celebrations
- Industry players hope festivities will be buoyed by a second round of consumption vouchers to be rolled out in mid-July
- More than 150 brands and 6,000 retail stores will join campaign, to start Saturday and end August 31, featuring HK$150 million worth of discounts and goodies
Hong Kong’s catering sector is banking on a two-month shopping festival to bring a 20 per cent surge in business, with the event part of July 1 celebrations to mark the 26th anniversary of the city’s return to Chinese rule.
About 1,500 restaurants will offer reduced prices on selected menu items on Saturday, with some eateries observing a 29 per cent discount – meaning “paying 71 per cent of the price” – a play on the “7/1” date.
The promotions, together with free rides and museum visits, were announced by city leader John Lee Ka-chiu earlier this month. Sources said the drive would provide a boost for the recovering economy.
But Leung Chun-wah, chairman of the Association for Hong Kong Catering Services Management Ltd, on Friday said it was difficult for the sector to offer discounts of nearly 30 per cent, as the profits on individual orders could only be 5 to 8 per cent.
“Some eateries do not mind having no profits at all as they want residents to dine happily,” he told a radio programme, stressing it was voluntary for outlets to offer discounts.
He said sales in the catering sector had only hit 80 or 90 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, voicing hope the latest promotions and a second instalment of consumption vouchers on July 16 could boost the ailing industry by up to 20 per cent.
“We have so few customers after 8.30pm as their lifestyles have changed after the pandemic … Residents are sleeping earlier than before,” he said.
