"Large Chinese Supermarkets Offer Great Value... Crowded with Hong Kong Residents"

China's 'Discount Store Shopping Trips' Popular
"Entry from China Down 43% Compared to December 2018"

Amid the economic slowdown in China and Hong Kong, the number and spending of mainland Chinese tourists visiting Hong Kong have decreased, while the spending of Hong Kong tourists visiting China has increased.

Hong Kong media reported on the 4th that "amid the crisis triggered by China's real estate sector and the expansion of duty-free shops in Hainan, mainland Chinese tourists no longer indulge in luxury shopping in Hong Kong as they used to." Instead, they seek out inexpensive restaurants and are reluctant to open their wallets.

A view of downtown Hong Kong.
Photo by Yonhap News

On the other hand, Hong Kong residents, influenced by the strong Hong Kong dollar and ongoing high inflation, have crossed over to places like Shenzhen in Guangdong Province, China, to enjoy shopping and travel. Recently, reports have emerged that warehouse-style supermarkets in Shenzhen are so crowded with Hong Kong people that there is barely any space to move.

The Standard, a local Hong Kong media outlet, reported that shopping tour packages from Hong Kong to Shenzhen in Guangdong Province are gaining popularity. TGL Tour, a Hong Kong travel agency, launched a "Sam's Club Shenzhen 2-Day Tour" package ahead of the Lunar New Year (Chunje, 春節), which sold out almost completely within days as over 3,000 customers signed up.

Moreover, as Shenzhen's Sam's Club near the port, Yonghui, and other supermarkets have become popular travel destinations, bus companies have established pick-up and drop-off points throughout Hong Kong and opened special bus routes for round trips between Hong Kong and these supermarkets.

Although there are many supermarkets in Hong Kong, due to the limited space, there are no warehouse-style large supermarkets. Above all, since prices are cheaper than in Hong Kong, Hong Kong residents facing financial difficulties are flocking to Shenzhen for shopping.

TGL Tour stated that to meet recent trends, it will continue to develop travel packages to other areas within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Weigang'ao, ?港澳大??) and offer convenient short-distance shopping trips. The Greater Bay Area is a massive economic zone project connecting nine major cities in Guangdong Province with Hong Kong and Macao.

Number of Hong Kong Residents Traveling Abroad Hits Highest Since 1984

Chinese warehouse discount store
Photo by Yonhap News

Bloomberg also cited data from the Hong Kong Immigration Department, reporting that in December last year, Hong Kong residents made about 7.7 million outbound trips via land and sea checkpoints. This is the highest number of outbound trips in December since records began in 1984, according to the Hong Kong government.

Hong Kong residents mainly use land and sea routes to travel to Shenzhen and Macao, with about 50% of outbound trips occurring during weekends and the Christmas holiday. Over 86% (approximately 6.62 million) of these trips were made through checkpoints between Hong Kong and mainland China.

Bloomberg noted, "(The visits of Hong Kong residents to China) are the exact opposite of the phenomenon in January 2019, when 5.5 million Chinese tourists visited Hong Kong and swept luxury brands from Louis Vuitton and Herm?s to cosmetics and infant formula." It added, "The campaigns Hong Kong launched to attract mainland Chinese tourists after reopening (economic activities) have failed amid China's economic weakness."

The number of mainland Chinese travelers visiting Hong Kong has sharply declined. In December last year, the number of entries by mainland Chinese travelers through all checkpoints, including the airport, was about 2.9 million, a roughly 43% drop compared to the same month in 2018.

With fewer Chinese tourists and Hong Kong residents spending money in China, Hong Kong's restaurant and entertainment districts are suffering.

Ben Leung, chairman of the Hong Kong Bars and Clubs Association, told Bloomberg, "Hong Kong's famous nightlife has been particularly hard hit." He said, "Many bars and clubs that used to operate all night before COVID-19 now close by 2 a.m. due to lack of customers, and empty shops are increasing in the nightlife district of Lan Kwai Fong."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.