Macau retail sales posted a modest rise of 1.1 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2016, according to data from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC).
Sales totalled MOP 15.89 billion, driven by a rebound in visitor spending coupled with the festive seasons such as Christmas.
The increase was the first year-on-year growth in Macau retail sales since the second quarter of 2014.
The value of retail sales for the fourth quarter rose by 16.2 per cent compared with the revised figure of MOP 13.67 billion in the third quarter, reflecting the impact of Christmas. Retail sales of watches, clocks & jewellery accounted for 21 per cent of the total, followed by sales of goods in department stores (15.1 per cent), adults clothing (13.2 per cent), leather goods (11.5 per cent) and goods in supermarkets (6.5 per cent).
Year-on-year changes in value were driven by leather goods (up 18.1 per cent). Pharmacy sales fell 17.4 per cent.
Notable quarter-on-quarter increases were observed in retail sales of adults clothing (up 31 per cent), watches, clocks & jewellery (up 21.6 per cent), communication equipment (up 18.3 per cent), leather goods (up 18.1 per cent) and department store sales, up by 17.1 per cent.
Full year data
The total value of Macau retail sales for the whole of 2016 was MOP 57.51 billion, down by 6.6 per cent year-on-year.
Sales of communication equipment fell 19 per cent and of watches, clocks & jewellery by 14 per cent. In contrast, leather goods sales rose 6.1 per cent, cosmetics & sanitary articles by 5 per cent and adult clothing by 4.1 per cent.
The volume of retail sales for the whole year of 2016 dropped by 5.5 per cent, with marked decreases in sales of watches, clocks & jewellery, down 14.1 per cent. Leather goods sales soared 18.4 per cent.
The DSEC also records retailers comments along with data. It reports 49.8 per cent of retailers anticipate sales volume in the first quarter of 2017 will remain stable compared with the same quarter of 2016, 46.2 per cent forecast a decrease and 4 per cent expected an increase. “Meanwhile, 74.5 per cent of the retailers anticipate stable retail prices in the first quarter of 2017 compared to the same quarter of 2016, 17.2 per cent expect a decrease, and 8.3 per cent predict an increase,” the DSEC said in a statement.
“Moreover, 48.9 per cent of retailers anticipate business will worsen in the first quarter of 2017 compared with the fourth quarter of 2016, 44.3 per cent expect the business to remain stable, and 6.8 per cent expect an improvement.”
