Before Hato, restaurants, retailers were optimistic for August
Forty percent of interviewed restaurants and similar establishments contacted last month by the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) reported year-
on-year revenue growth in July 2017. The proportion of retailers reporting growth was down by 5 percent compared to June.
According to the DSEC survey, the corresponding proportions of western restaurants (20 percent) and local-style cafes, congee and noodle shops (39 percent) reporting year-on-year growth decreased by 25 percent and 9 percent respectively, while the share of Chinese restaurants (51 percent) increased by 7 percent.
On the other hand, 35 percent of the interviewed establishments recorded a year-
on-year decline in revenue, up by 2 percent from June. The corresponding proportions of western restaurants (65 percent) and local-style cafes, congee and noodle shops (37 percent) declined by 25 percent and 12 percent respectively, whereas the share of Chinese restaurants (23 percent) dropped 16 percent.
Before the arrival of Typhoon Hato in Macau, restaurants reportedly expected a slight improvement in their businesses in August, with 32 percent of restaurants anticipating a year-on-year rise in revenue, up by 4 percent from expectations in June, for July. More specifically, around half of Chinese restaurants had predicted an increase, up by 14 percent over the previous month.
The DSEC survey also contacts retailers in the territory, finding in July that about half of those retailers reported a year-on-year sales increases that month, up by 3 percent from June.
The corresponding proportions of motor vehicle retailers (67 percent), watch, clock and jewelry retailers (72 percent) and department stores (44 percent) reporting growth climbed by 22 percent, 17 percent and 11 percent respectively.
On the other hand, 27 percent of interviewed retailers registered a year-on-year sales decrease, down by 7 percent over June. The corresponding proportions of motor vehicle retailers and department stores reporting a decrease both fell by around one-third.
Prior to the typhoon, retailers had expected no significant change in their business in August. The proportion of interviewed retailers predicting a year-on-year sales increase in August held steady at 24 percent in July.
