Retail Sales Survey for the 1st Quarter 2021

Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that value of retail sales for the first quarter of 2021 totalled MOP18.75 billion, up by 68.0% year-on-year. After removing the effect of price changes, the sales volume index soared by 76.4% year-on-year.

Among the major retail trade activities, sales values of Communication Equipment (+182.4%), Leather Goods (+150.5%) and Watches, Clocks & Jewellery (+123.4%) showed notable year-on-year increase, whereas sales value of Supermarkets (-17.9%) decreased. As regards sales volume index, the indices of Communication Equipment (+203.7%), Leather Goods (+152.1%) and Watches, Clocks & Jewellery (+114.2%) registered significant growth, while the index of Supermarkets (-17.0%) declined.

Value of retail sales in the first quarter of 2021 rose by 3.1% as compared with the revised figure (MOP18.19 billion) in the fourth quarter of 2020. Sales value of Communication Equipment (+45.8%) rose markedly, whereas sales values of Motor Vehicles (-16.4%) and Adults’ Clothing (-5.2%) dropped. Moreover, the sales volume index grew by 4.2% quarter-to-quarter; the index of Communication Equipment surged by 47.7%, while the indices of Motor Vehicles and Automotive Fuels fell by 15.8% and 5.7% respectively.

In respect of retailers’ comments, 43.4% of the retailers expected the sales volume to stay stable year-on-year in the second quarter of 2021, 41.6% anticipated a decrease and 15.0% forecasted an increase. Meanwhile, 58.7% of the retailers predicted that the retail prices would remain steady year-on-year in the second quarter, 30.2% foresaw a decrease and 11.1% expected an increase. As compared with the first quarter of 2021, about 45.7% of the retailers envisaged sluggish business in the second quarter, whereas retailers expecting stable performance (36.7%) and those anticipating a favourable outlook (17.6%) together accounted for 54.3% of the total.