DSE: general retail sales drop for Golden Week

Local retailers saw their overall sales decrease during the past National Day Golden Week, when compared to the same period last year, despite an increase in the number of customers, says a survey conducted by the Macao Economic Services (DSE).
According to the economic bureau, the survey, whose results were released last Friday, interviewed a total of 1,200 businesses located in tourists areas such as the Nam Van Lakes, Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro, the Ruins of St. Paul’s, the Border Gate and Taipa, at the end of the Golden Week.
‘Despite the increase in customer flow, the decrease in consumer power led business sales [in the Golden Week] to decline compared to the same period of last year,’ the Bureau noted. ‘Meanwhile, [business in] traditional tourist areas such as Ruins of St Paul’s were still benefited the most by the National Day Golden Week’.
Even though the surveyed retailers said their sales had dropped compared to the same period last year, they claimed that when compared to ordinary business days, their operations had still performed better, according to the DSE.
The survey shows that 39 per cent of the interviewed retailers said their turnover had increased during the week-long holiday compared to ordinary days, up by 22 per cent on average. Meanwhile, 42 per cent claimed their sales had remained flat, and 19 per cent indicated their sales had decreased during the holiday.
By industry, the DSE said cosmetic retailers saw their sales go up by 15 per cent on average during the past holiday when compared to ordinary business days, while other retailers of electronic products, souvenirs, jewellery and watches also claimed their sales had increased.
Meanwhile, 45 per cent, or 539, of the interviewed businesses said they had received a higher flow of customers during the Golden Week, up by 24 per cent year-on-year on average. Those located near the Ruins of St. Paul’s and Nam Van Lakes particularly, saw the number of customers jump by 30 per cent year-on-year on average.
On the other hand, 39 per cent of the surveyed business said the number of customers was similar to last year’s Golden Week, while 16 per cent claimed the number had decreased.
DSE noted in the survey that those who claimed to have registered a higher number of customers for the holiday had also recorded a certain level of growth in sales.
The past National Day Golden Week lasted from October 1 to October 7.