E-payments account for almost 80% of all retail, F&B payments

Electronic payment (E-payment) transaction values accounted for between 70% and 80% of the receipts of restaurants and similar (F&B) establishments and retail trade in November last year, according to an official statistics release from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC).

According to the release, in November last year, the number of transactions increased in both sectors, with retail trade growing faster (3.7% year-on-year) than the F&B sector (3.5%).

Despite a 3.5% increase in transaction value for F&B establishments to MOP1.14 billion compared with November 2024, the figure decreased by 2.1% month-on-month, due to the effect of the National Day holidays in October.

For the first eleven months of 2025, the transaction value increased by 2.3% year-on-year to MOP12.40 billion.

Compared with November last year, transaction values for Western Restaurants and Fast-food Restaurants rose by 10.4% and 10.3%, respectively, while the transaction value for Chinese Restaurants declined by 2.7%.

Compared month-on-month, there were significant decreases in Japanese & Korean Restaurants and Fast-food Restaurants, of 9.2% and 8.7%, respectively. On the other hand, the transaction value for Local Style Cafes, Congee & Noodle Shops increased by 2.2%.

Despite a 3.7% year-over-year increase, the transaction value for retail trade (MOP4.50 billion) was also down 4% month-on-month. For the first eleven months, the transaction value amounted to MOP46.47 billion, with the year-on-year decline narrowing to 4.9%.

Retailers of cosmetics and sanitary articles and pharmacies increased by 21.2% and 18.1%, respectively, whereas department stores declined by 8.8%.