HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong's retail sales fell 24.8% in June from a year earlier, hammered by the coronavirus outbreak which has kept tourists away and pushed many retailers and restaurants to the brink of collapse.
Sales dropped to HK$26.5 billion ($3.42 billion), government data showed on Thursday, the 17th consecutive month of decline. The drop compares with a revised 32.9% decline in May.
In volume terms, retail sales in June fell 25.4%, compared with a fall of a revised 34% in the previous month.
Sporadic anti-government protests, at a much smaller scale than demonstrations that rocked the global financial hub last year, also weighed on the retail sector, forcing some shops to close temporarily.