2023年3月30日

香港——世界頂級奢侈品購物目的地之一——正在失去吸引力，原因是高端零售物業空置，知名外國品牌減少在香港的敞口，轉而在中國內地開設新店。物業管理公司的數據顯示，2019年疫情前，香港繁華的購物街曾經擠滿了奢侈品商店，吸引了5600萬遊客，現在約有一半的店鋪空置。地產公司高緯物業(Cushman & Wakefield)的數據顯示，尖沙咀的租金較疫情前下降了41%。去年，紐約第五大道(Fifth Avenue)取代尖沙咀零售區成為全球最昂貴的購物地產。全球房地產公司第一太平戴維斯(Savills)的數據顯示，尖沙咀最著名的購物街廣東道的空置率約為53%。第一太平戴維斯(Savills)駐香港的研究和谘詢高級總監西蒙·史密斯(Simon Smith)說:“大多數奢侈品零售商認為，香港不會回到2014年市場見頂時令人眩暈的水平。”史密斯說:“如果你在主要的購物區閑逛，你不會看到奢侈品精品店外麵排著長隊，或者即使你看到了，他們也很短。”過去三年裏，蒂芙尼(Tiffany)、華倫天奴(Valentino)、巴寶莉(Burberry)和其他大品牌在尖沙咀、中環和銅鑼灣購物區關閉的門店，被阿迪達斯(Adidas)和sweat Betty等品牌的藥店和運動服裝門店取代。報道中提到的奢侈品和大品牌零售公司沒有回應置評請求。商店關閉是在民主抗議和隨後的鎮壓導致銷售下滑之後，在近三年的嚴格COVID規定下，銷售下滑加劇。在此期間，香港的整體零售額較2018年暴跌約30%，主要原因是內地遊客因旅行限製而大幅減少。 Tourists from greater China are the main driver of Hong Kong’s branded retail and luxury goods market. Hong Kong retail data doesn’t break out luxury goods separately but the sector was hit hard as China accounted for almost 80% of inbound tourists in 2019. Jewellery, watches, clocks and valuable gifts sales in 2022 at HK$38.8 billion ($4.9 billion), for instance, were less than half their 2018 value. And while inbound travellers in January tripled from December as COVID restrictions were lifted and travel resumed, arrivals were still only about 10% of 2019 levels. Morgan Stanley forecast Hong Kong visitor numbers this year will reach just 70% of 2018 arrivals. It estimates retail sales will grow 15%, holding at around 80% of retail trade from the pre-COVID year. MANY MORE ALTERNATIVES Many luxury brands expanded in mainland China during the pandemic, opening stores in far-flung locations to reach consumers unable to travel. Tourist destinations such as resort island Hainan and Macau also have become popular alternatives as China sought to develop multiple duty and tax free destinations.