Expo gives vendors a windfall

A POPULAR shopping fair enjoyed brisk business over the holiday season, generating more than HK$900m over 24 days for about 880 booths.

The last day at the 51st Hong Kong Brands and Products Expo (工展會) saw shoppers scrambling for ‘lucky’ food items to celebrate the Lunar New Year with vendors reporting 10 percent business growth over last year. The 28,000-square-metre venue at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay was filled with families carrying baskets, as the event came to a close on 2 January.

A popular dry seafood shop said business was up 10 percent as shoppers flocked to buy Lunar New Year gifts. Its bestseller was the HK$268 ‘Lucky Bag’ packed with six items, including abalone, Chinese mushroom and sliced whelk.

A cake shop said its sales were boosted as the expo was held just before the Lunar New Year. However, it noticed that the number of mainland visitors dropped compared with two to three years ago, and it speculated that the expo has already lost its appeal for mainlanders.

A Chinese herbs and drugs vendor admitted there were fewer mainland shoppers but it did not impact much on its business as mainlanders comprised only 10 percent of its customers.

Stalls selling winter jackets saw business growth of 5-8 percent although temperatures hit 23C.

The Hong Kong Tourism Board (香港旅遊發展局) described the show as “a large-scale outdoor expo and carnival featuring local and international renowned brands and quality products”.

(This article is published on Junior Standard on 6 January 2017)

The 51st Hong Kong Brands and Products Expo
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