Hong Kong Jewelry and Watch Sales Jump 20% in September

(IDEX Online) - Sales of jewelry, watches and valuable gifts in Hong Kong rose 20.3% year over year in September, significantly outperforming the wider retail market, as the city's consumer spending continued to recover.

The value of sales reached HK$4.706 billion ($603 million) in September, while sales volume increased 7%, according to provisional figures released by the Census and Statistics Department on November 3. The category also recorded the strongest value growth among the major retail sectors covered in the report.

The September increase followed year-on-year value growth of 20.1% in June and 19.7% in July, before the pace slowed to 11.9% in August. The latest figures therefore represent a renewed acceleration after the August dip.

For the first nine months of 2026, sales value was up 22.4% year over year to HK$45.82 billion ($5.87 billion), while volume increased 6.8%.

The figures compare favorably with the wider retail market. Total retail sales rose 6.4% in value and 3.9% in volume in September. For the January-to-September period, overall sales value increased 8.3%, while volume was up 5.9%.

A government spokesman, commenting on sales across all sectors, said: "Growth in sales was broad-based across many types of retail outlet, reflecting solid local consumption sentiment in general."

The earlier arrival of the Mid-Autumn Festival also helped boost visitor numbers and sales of related festive goods, the spokesman said.

The jewelry and watch category includes jewelry, watches and clocks, and valuable gifts. The figures do not separate diamond jewelry from other products, or distinguish purchases by local residents from those made by visitors.

Hong Kong's retail recovery has now extended for 17 consecutive months, with the government expecting continued economic growth, higher labor earnings, major events and tourism to support further spending.