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Emily Hung

Vendors at Hong Kong’s largest Lunar New Year fair are slashing their prices on flowers and other goods to clear stock, reporting weaker sales on the final day of operations, while some visitors have said they are spending cautiously.
Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po visited the 395-stall fair at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay on Tuesday afternoon and encouraged the public to support local businesses during the new year holiday.
Thousands of residents also seized the chance to shop at the fair, bringing home pots of auspicious flowers and other items for good luck in the Year of the Snake.
The market, which has crowd control measures in place, will remain open overnight until 7am on Wednesday.

Vendors were eager to clear their stock by offering steep discounts. The company Better Garden gave a 40 per cent discount on all its home-grown orchids from Kam Tin.
“Business this year is so-so, with sales dropping by 30 per cent compared with last year, people are not quite willing to spend any more,” employee Tony Yu said.
Connie Lee from Kwai Yee Garden, which sells a wide range of potted plants, also said business was quieter this year and she was preparing to close the stall in the evening.
“We accept whatever customers bargain,” Lee said. “The footfall is OK but people are not buying things, just like many in other retail industries in Hong Kong nowadays.”

Students from Polytechnic University were in high spirits as first-time vendors and said they planned to throw a massive giveaway of their stuffed toys later in the evening.
Vegetable Choi, 20, said the students pooled together HK$50,000 (US$6,410) for the business and managed to break even on the last day of the fair.
Choi said their stuffed toys were more expensive than those from other vendors in the market and the sizes might be too big for regular-sized households.
“I hoped we could make around HK$60,000 to HK$70,000 at the end,” Choi said.
Many visitors said they enjoyed visiting the flower market, which was vibrant and full of energy, but some added that they did not spend much.

Surveyor Man Cheung, who was visiting with his wife and two-year-old son, left the park empty-handed.
“We didn’t see anything that we liked, and the prices weren’t attractive enough even though it’s the last day,” Cheung, 37, said.
“There are quite a lot of people and more choices of goods, but people are mostly checking out the stuff instead of buying.”
Alvis Chao, a 15-year-old student who visited the flower market with his mother, spent HK$200 on a pot of orchids and some keychains.
“Last year we spent even less on flowers, just HK$20, because it was raining,” he said. “This year, the atmosphere is quite vibrant and not too crowded, just the sun is blazing hot.”
He said they did not plan to travel because the holiday was short and they would instead stay in Hong Kong for family gatherings.

Retiree Nancy Ho, who is in her sixties and visited the market with her daughter, spent HK$120 on two bunches of peach blossoms.
“it’s a really good deal, I planned to spend more or less HK$1,000 in total.”
Chan, the finance chief, spent around HK$1,000 on panda-themed goods and flowers in the market.
Encouraging people to support local companies during the holiday, Chan said many vendors had told him business was 20 to 30 per cent better than last year.


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‘Spectacular’ Hong Kong Lunar New Year parade ushers in Year of the Snake

Flights from Hong Kong to Japan ‘every 15 minutes’ over Lunar New Year

Year of the Snake: from fireworks to cash, Hong Kong banks vie to lure mainland visitors

Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong florists cut prices as buyers sniff out Lunar New Year fair deals

The Lunar New Year fair at Victoria Park will remain open overnight. Photo: Sun Yeung

Residents flocked to the fair on Tuesday. Photo: Sun Yeung

Man Cheung with his wife and two-year-old son. Photo: Emily Hung

Teenager Alvis Chao says he bought orchids and keychains. Photo: Emily Hung

Retiree Nancy Ho says she got a good deal. Photo: Emily Hung

Vendors at Hong Kong’s largest Lunar New Year flower market report sluggish sales

Shoppers at the Lunar New Year flower market in Victoria Park. Photo: Elson Li

Stall owners have said trendy accessories and snake-themed paraphernalia are popular with shoppers. Photo: Elson Li

Students of Cheung Chuk Shan College display their wares themed on the Year of the Snake. Photo: Elson Li

Mainlanders make 419,072 trips to Hong Kong ahead of Lunar New Year ‘golden week’

Mainland Chinese tourists are flocking to Hong Kong to celebrate Lunar New year. Photo: Dickson Lee

Hongkongers made 1.16 million outbound trips between Saturday and Monday. Photo: Elson Li

News

Hong Kong

Vendors at Victoria Park fair are eager to clear stock by offering steep discounts before the Lunar New Year fair closes


Vendors at Victoria Park fair are eager to clear stock by offering steep discounts before the Lunar New Year fair closes.
