************************************************************
The value of total receipts for the restaurants sector was $18.8 billion in the fourth quarter of 2007, up by 15.1% compared with the fourth quarter of 2006. Over the same period, the value of total purchases by restaurants also increased, by 21.3% to $6.6 billion.
After discounting the effect of price changes, total restaurant receipts rose by 11.1% in volume in the fourth quarter of 2007 as compared to a year earlier.
These are the provisional figures on restaurant receipts and purchases released today (February 5) by the Census and Statistics Department.
Restaurant receipts in volume terms are derived from the corresponding receipts in value terms after adjusting for price changes. The relevant components of the Composite Consumer Price Index are used for this adjustment.
Analysed by type of restaurant, total receipts of bars increased by 17.7% in value or 15.6% in volume in the fourth quarter of 2007 as compared to a year earlier.
Over the same period, total receipts of non-Chinese restaurants increased by 17.6% in value or 14.1% in volume, while total receipts of Chinese restaurants increased by 16.5% in value or 12.1% in volume.
Total receipts of miscellaneous eating and drinking places increased by 11.3% in value or by 8.6% in volume in the fourth quarter of 2007 as compared to a year earlier.
As for fast food shops, total receipts increased by 7.7% in value or 3.8% in volume.
On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison, the volume of total restaurant receipts increased by 3.0% in the fourth quarter of 2007 as compared to the third quarter of 2007.
For 2007 as a whole, the value of total receipts for the restaurants sector was $69.9 billion. This represented an increase of 13.5% in value or 10.7% in volume as compared to 2006. Over the same period, the value of total purchases of restaurants increased by 16.8% to $24.1 billion.
Analysed by type of restaurant, total receipts of non-Chinese restaurants in 2007 increased by 16.7% in value or 13.9% in volume over 2006.
Concurrently, total receipts of Chinese restaurants increased by 14.5% in value or 11.5% in volume, while total receipts of miscellaneous eating and drinking places increased by 9.5% in value or 6.5% in volume.
As for bars, total receipts in 2007 increased by 9.3% in value or 6.2% in volume over 2006, while total receipts of fast food shops also rose, by 7.8% in value or 5.1% in volume.
Table 1 presents the revised figures for the total receipts and total purchases of the restaurants sector for the third quarter of 2007 and the provisional figures for the fourth quarter of 2007. The value and volume indices of the restaurant receipts in the third quarter and fourth quarter of 2007 for the entire restaurants sector and by type of restaurant are also given, with the average of quarterly indices from October 2004 to September 2005 taken as 100.
Table 2 shows the year-on-year rate of change in total restaurant receipts in volume terms based on the original series, as well as the quarter-to-quarter rate of change based on the seasonally adjusted series.
Users can download the Report on Quarterly Survey of Restaurant Receipts and Purchases free of charge at the website of the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) (www.censtatd.gov.hk/products_and_services/products/publications/index.jsp).
Print version of this publication is available for sale at HK$6.0 per issue. Purchase can be done in person at the Publications Unit of the C&SD (Address : 19/F Wanchai Tower, 12 Harbour Road, Wan Chai; Tel: 2582 3025) or through mail order by returning a completed order form which can be downloaded from the C&SD's website (www.censtatd.gov.hk/products_and_services/other_services/provision_of_stat/mail_ordering_of_publications/index.jsp). Print version of this publication is also available for sale online at the Government Bookstore of the Information Services Department (www.bookstore.gov.hk).
Enquiries about the restaurant receipts and purchases statistics may be directed to the Distribution Services Statistics Section of the C&SD (Tel: 2123 1040).
Ends/Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Issued at HKT 16:15
NNNN
