Mainland shoppers return to Hong Kong, but some border shopkeepers fear boom times have gone for good
- Business levels go up in shops near border, but still far off peak of pre-pandemic days, stores say
- One pharmacy owner says he logged only a 10 per cent increase in business since full reopening of border last week
Hong Kong shops near the border with mainland China logged a boost to business the first weekend after the full reopening of crossing points.
But businesses on Sunday said they were not sure whether shoppers would flock back after they became used to buying online during the Covid-19 crisis.
Tourists with suitcases could be seen on Sheung Shui’s San Hong Street and Hong Tsai Street, two hotspots for pharmacies and cosmetics stores popular with mainland shoppers before the pandemic hit.
Tony Lee, a pharmacy owner who had sold overseas beauty products for six years, said the number of customers had only increased by 10 per cent in the last week.
“Before the pandemic, there used to be lines of customers queuing outside my shop and this street was full of tourists,” he said.
He said he feared business might not get back to the boom times before the pandemic in the long term as most customers opted for online shopping platforms instead of his store’s website.
