Hong Kong shoppers learning to cope with SARS
Traffic still down but upward trend emerging
April 25 2003
Hong Kong is starting to deal with the social impact of the SARS virus as shopper numbers rise for the first time since the outbreak became apparent in February.
The epidemic has hit the ‘retail dynamo’ of the region hard. The economy of Hong Kong relies on high shopper numbers and is normally resilient to social and political upheaval.
Figures from FootFall show that the number of shoppers across Hong Kong rose by 6 per cent in the second week of April compared to the previous week. This reversed a downward trend seen since the beginning of March.
Gary Whittemore, general manager of FootFall Asia, said: “Following the recent dramatic falls in shopper numbers that we have seen across Hong Kong over the last month, this upturn, although small, will be a welcome relief to retailers.
“The mood has changed from one of almost panic to a situation where people feel that they have got to get on with their normal routines as best they can under the circumstances. There is also a feeling that people are getting tired of being stuck in their own homes and want to get out again.
“However we do need to put this into perspective. Looking at the year-on-year figures shows that Hong Kong has been hit quite hard by this SARS epidemic. Overall shopper numbers are still 24 per cent down across the country.”
