According to the results of the 2017 Annual Survey of Economic Activities – Import/Export, Wholesale and Retail Trades, and Accommodation and Food Services Sectors released today (November 30) by the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD), total receipts (i.e. sales and other receipts) of the import/export, wholesale and retail trades, and accommodation and food services sectors amounted to $5,039.9 billion in 2017, representing an increase of 2.8% compared with 2016; on a per establishment basis, total receipts increased by 4.8% compared with 2016 to $33.1 million in 2017.
 
     Operating expenses, cost of goods sold and compensation of employees of the above sectors altogether amounted to $4,661.4 billion in 2017, representing an increase of 2.7% compared with 2016; on a per establishment basis, they altogether increased by 4.7% compared with 2016 to $30.6 million in 2017.
 
     Gross surplus of the sectors, which is equal to total receipts less operating expenses, cost of goods sold and compensation of employees, increased by 3.3% compared with 2016 to $378.4 billion in 2017; on a per establishment basis, gross surplus was $2.5 million in 2017, which increased by 5.3% compared with 2016. For all these sectors taken together, gross surplus accounted for 7.5% of total receipts in 2017, which was similar to that in 2016.
 
     Value added of the sectors, which is a measure of their total contribution to Hong Kong's Gross Domestic Product, amounted to $645.7 billion in 2017, which increased by 5.3% compared with 2016; on a per establishment basis, value added was $4.2 million in 2017, which increased by 7.3% compared with 2016.
 
     According to the survey results, it was estimated that the aforementioned sectors comprised some 152 400 establishments and engaged about 1 092 600 persons, or an average of 7.2 persons per establishment, in 2017.
 
     In the import/export trade, total receipts amounted to $3,986.6 billion while operating expenses, cost of goods sold and compensation of employees totalled $3,680.7 billion in 2017. Gross surplus increased from $295.0 billion in 2016 to $305.9 billion in 2017, accounting for 7.7% of total receipts in 2017. Value added increased by 5.2% compared with 2016 to $457.6 billion.
 
     In the wholesale trade, total receipts amounted to $310.3 billion while operating expenses, cost of goods sold and compensation of employees totalled $302.1 billion in 2017. Gross surplus decreased from $8.2 billion in 2016 to $8.1 billion in 2017, accounting for 2.6% of total receipts in 2017. Value added increased by 4.0% compared with 2016 to $21.9 billion.
 
     In the retail trade, total receipts amounted to $552.3 billion while operating expenses, cost of goods sold and compensation of employees totalled $513.1 billion in 2017. Gross surplus increased from $39.0 billion in 2016 to $39.2 billion in 2017, accounting for 7.1% of total receipts in 2017. Value added increased by 5.7% compared with 2016 to $84.1 billion.
 
     In the accommodation services sector which covers hotels, guesthouses, boarding houses and other establishments providing short term accommodation, total receipts amounted to $45.2 billion while operating expenses, cost of goods sold and compensation of employees totalled $30.4 billion in 2017. Gross surplus increased from $14.3 billion in 2016 to $14.7 billion in 2017, accounting for 32.6% of total receipts in 2017. Value added increased by 4.9% compared with 2016 to $28.4 billion.
 
     In the food services sector which mainly covers restaurants, total receipts amounted to $145.5 billion while operating expenses, cost of goods sold and compensation of employees totalled $135.1 billion in 2017. Gross surplus increased from $10.1 billion in 2016 to $10.5 billion in 2017, accounting for 7.2% of total receipts in 2017. Value added increased by 6.1% compared with 2016 to $53.8 billion.
 
     Selected statistics for the import/export, wholesale and retail trades, and accommodation and food services sectors in 2016 and 2017 are shown in the attached table.
 
     More detailed survey results on the import/export, wholesale and retail trades, and accommodation and food services sectors will be given in the report "Key Statistics on Business Performance and Operating Characteristics of the Import/Export, Wholesale and Retail Trades, and Accommodation and Food Services Sectors in 2017". Users can download this report (in PDF format) free of charge at the website of C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/hkstat/sub/sp320.jsp?productCode=B1080014) as from end-December 2018.
 
     Users who have enquiries about the survey results may contact the Distribution Services Statistics Section of C&SD (Tel: 3903 7399; email : asw@censtatd.gov.hk). 

Ends/Friday, November 30, 2018
Issued at HKT 16:30

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