* Jan tourist arrivals jump 24.5 times y/y vs Dec’s 24.5
times y/y
* Jan jewellery sales up 25.2% y/y vs Dec’s 49.5% growth
HONG KONG, March 1 (Reuters) – Hong Kong’s retail sales
rose for a 14th consecutive month in January as tourism
continued to improve, official data showed on Friday.
Sales increased 0.9% year-on-year to HK$36.5 billion ($4.7
billion) in January, the Hong Kong government said. That
compared with a 7.8% growth in December, 15.9% jump in November
and a 5.8% rise in October.
“Continued increase in visitor arrivals alongside further
recovery of handling capacity and organisation of mega events
would bode well for retail businesses,” a government spokesman
said, adding government initiatives to boost consumption should
also provide support.
In terms of volume, retail sales decreased 1.2% in January,
compared with 4.8% increase in December, 12.4% growth in
November, a 2.9% rise in October. It is…
