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The value of total receipts of the restaurants sector was $20.8 billion in the first quarter of 2010, up by 4.8% when compared with the first quarter of 2009. Over the same period, the value of total purchases by restaurants increased, by 4.2% to $7.2 billion.
After discounting the effect of price changes, total restaurant receipts rose by 3.9% in volume in the first quarter of 2010 as compared to a year earlier. The relevant components of the Composite Consumer Price Index are used for this price adjustment.
These are the provisional figures on restaurant receipts and purchases released today (May 3) by the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD).
Analysed by type of restaurant, total receipts of Chinese restaurants increased by 6.3% in value or 5.3% in volume in the first quarter of 2010 as compared to a year earlier.
Over the same period, total receipts of fast food shops increased by 5.3% in value or 4.6% in volume, while total receipts of bars increased by 5.0% in value or 4.9% in volume.
Total receipts of non-Chinese restaurants increased by 2.4% in value or 1.9% in volume in the first quarter of 2010 as compared to a year earlier. As for miscellaneous eating and drinking places, total receipts increased by 2.0% in value or 1.1% in volume.
On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison, the volume of total restaurant receipts increased by 1.2% in the first quarter of 2010 as compared to the fourth quarter of 2009.
To facilitate better understanding of the short-term business performance of the restaurants sector, statistics in respect of the restaurant receipts and purchases in individual months of the reference quarter are published as from the press release pertaining to the first quarter of 2010.
Analysed by month, the value of total receipts of the restaurants sector was provisionally estimated at $7.1 billion, $6.8 billion and $6.9 billion respectively in January, February and March 2010. The provisional value of total purchases by restaurants was the same in January, February and March 2010, at $2.4 billion each month.
After discounting the effect of price changes, total restaurant receipts decreased by 3.7% in volume in January 2010, but increased by 8.9% and 7.9% respectively in February and March 2010 as compared to a year earlier.
It should be noted that as the Lunar New Year fell in mid February this year but in late January last year, the above year-on-year comparison might have been affected by this factor to a certain extent.
Table 1 presents the revised figures of total purchases by the restaurants sector, receipts of the entire restaurants sector and by type of restaurant for the fourth quarter of 2009 and the provisional figures for the first quarter of 2010. Breakdowns of the figures by month are also presented.
Table 2 presents the revised value indices of restaurant receipts for the fourth quarter of 2009 and the provisional indices for the first quarter of 2010 in respect of the entire restaurants sector and by type of restaurant, with the average value index of restaurant receipts from October 2004 to September 2005 taken as 100. Breakdowns of the figures by month are also presented.
Table 3 presents the revised volume indices of restaurant receipts for the fourth quarter of 2009 and the provisional indices for the first quarter of 2010 in respect of the entire restaurants sector and by type of restaurant, with the average volume index of restaurant receipts from October 2004 to September 2005 taken as 100. Breakdowns of the figures by month are also presented.
Table 4 presents the year-on-year rate of change in total restaurant receipts in volume terms based on the original quarterly series, as well as the quarter-to-quarter rate of change based on the seasonally adjusted series.
The revised figures on restaurant receipts and purchases for the first quarter of 2010 (with breakdowns by month) will be released at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/hong_kong_statistics/index.jsp) and relevant publications of the Department starting from June 21, 2010.
The classification of restaurants follows the Hong Kong Standard Industrial Classification (HSIC), which is used in various economic surveys for classifying economic units into different industry classes. Upon the implementation of the new HSIC Version 2.0 by the C&SD in October 2008, the Quarterly Survey of Restaurant Receipts and Purchases has been enhanced to adopt the new classification in compiling the restaurant receipts and purchases statistics. Starting from the first quarter of 2009, all the restaurant receipts and purchases statistics are compiled based on the HSIC Version 2.0.
The series of quarterly restaurant receipts and purchases statistics under the HSIC Version 2.0 has also been backcasted to the base period (i.e. October 2004 to September 2005). Users who are interested in the backcasted series or have enquiries about the survey results may contact the Distribution Services Statistics Section of the C&SD (Tel : 2123 1040 or E-mail : qsr@censtatd.gov.hk).
More detailed statistics are given in the Report on Quarterly Survey of Restaurant Receipts and Purchases. Users can download this publication free of charge at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/products_and_services/products/publications/statistical_report/commerce_and_industry/index.jsp).
Ends/Monday, May 3, 2010
Issued at HKT 16:32
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