HONG KONG - Hong Kong's November retail sales fell 7.3 percent by value from a year earlier, reflecting a change in consumption patterns and the relatively strong Hong Kong dollar, official data showed on Thursday.

Sales fell to HK$31.7 billion ($4.08 billion) in a ninth consecutive month of decline after a revised 2.8 percent decline in October, according to data from the Census and Statistics Department.

In volume terms, November retail sales fell 8.3 percent from a year earlier compared with a revised 4.8 percent fall in October.

Of the total retail sales value in November, online sales accounted for 9.3 percent. The value of online retail sales, provisionally estimated at HK$2.9 billion, decreased by 7 percent compared with the same month in 2023.

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The revised estimate of online retail sales in October 2024 increased by 8.4 percent compared with a year earlier.

For the first 11 months of 2024 taken together, it was provisionally estimated that the value of online retail sales decreased by 1.2 percent compared with the same period in 2023.

The value of sales of jewellery, watches and clocks, and valuable gifts decreased by 5.4 percent year-on-year. This was followed by sales of electrical goods and other consumer durable goods not elsewhere classified (-18.0 percent in value); and wearing apparel (-7.5 percent).

On the other hand, the value of sales of commodities in supermarkets increased by 3.5 percent in November over a year earlier. This was followed by sales of other consumer goods not elsewhere classified (+1.4 percent in value); and food, alcoholic drinks and tobacco (+0.4 percent).

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A Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government spokesman said that the value of total retail sales continued to decline in November from a year earlier alongside the change in consumption patterns and the relatively strong Hong Kong dollar.

Looking ahead, the spokesman said that the change in consumption patterns of visitors and residents will continue to weigh on the performance of the retail sector.

Nevertheless, the introduction of various measures by the central government to boost the Chinese mainland economy and benefit Hong Kong, including the resumption and expansion of the multiple-entry Individual Visit Scheme for Shenzhen since December, together with the SAR government's various initiatives to boost market sentiment, and increasing employment earnings, would be conducive to spending by both visitors and residents in the local market, he added.

With Reuters inputs