Tourism and New Year Push Watch and Jewelry Sales in Hong Kong

(IDEX Online) - Sales of hard luxury goods increased steadily in Hong Kong in the first two months of 2026, boosted by an influx of tourists and the Chinese New Year.

Revenue in the jewelry, watches and clocks, and valuable gifts category was up 27.8% year-on-year for January and February.

Hong Kong's Census and Statistics Department combines the two monthly figures because of the traditional spending frenzy ahead of Chinese New Year. It follows the lunar calendar, falling on 29 January in 2025 and on 17 February in 2026.

"It is more appropriate to analyse the retail sales figures for January and February taken together in making year-on-year comparison," the department said. Sales were up 31.1% in January and 24.2% in February.

Retail sales for the two months combined were HKD 11.026 billion (USD 1.407 billion). For January the figure was HKD 5.849 billion (USD 746 million) and for February it was HKD 5.177 billion (USD 661 million).

Visitor numbers increased by around 18% in January and February, according to  the Hong Kong Tourism Board, as part of a long-delayed recovery from pandemic restrictions.

Sales of hard luxury goods (Hong Kong does not provide a breakdown beyond jewelry, watches and clocks, and valuable gifts) outpaced an overall increase among all retail sectors of 11.8 per cent for January and February combined.