Provisional Statistics of Restaurant Receipts and Purchases for the Fourth Quarter of 2006 and for the Whole Year of 2006 Released
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    The value of total receipts for the restaurants sector was $16.4 billion in the fourth quarter of 2006, up by 11.1% compared with the fourth quarter of 2005.  Over the same period, the value of total purchases of restaurants also increased, by 9.0% to $5.4 billion.

     After discounting the effect of price changes, total restaurant receipts rose by 9.4% in volume in the fourth quarter of 2006 as compared to a year earlier.

     These are the provisional figures on restaurant receipts and purchases released today (February 9) by the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD).

     Restaurant receipts in volume terms are derived from the corresponding receipts in value terms by 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 non-Chinese restaurants increased by 15.6% in value or 14.1% in volume in the fourth quarter of 2006 as compared to a year earlier.

     Over the same period, total receipts of Chinese restaurants increased by 12.6% in value or 11.0% in volume, while total receipts of bars increased by 7.3% in value or 2.0% in volume.

     Total receipts of fast food shops increased by 3.4% in value or 1.9% in volume in the fourth quarter of 2006 as compared to a year earlier.

     As for miscellaneous eating and drinking places, total receipts increased by 1.3% in value, but decreased by 1.8% in volume.

     On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison, the volume of total restaurant receipts increased by 5.7% in the fourth quarter of 2006 as compared to the third quarter of 2006.

     For 2006 as a whole, the value of total receipts for the restaurants sector was $61.6 billion. This represented an increase of 9.5% in value, or 8.1% in volume, over 2005.  Over the same period, the value of total purchases of restaurants increased by 7.2% to $20.6 billion.

     Analysed by type of restaurant, total receipts of non-Chinese restaurants increased by 12.9% in value or 11.9% in volume in 2006.

     Concurrently, total receipts of Chinese restaurants rose by 9.5% in value or 8.0% in volume, while total receipts of fast food shops increased by 7.1% in value or 5.5% in volume.

     As for miscellaneous eating and drinking places, total receipts increased by 3.7% in value or 1.1% in volume.

     Total receipts of bars also rose, by 3.2% in value or 1.9% in volume.

     Table 1 presents the revised figures for the total receipts and total purchases of the restaurants sector for the third quarter of 2006 and the provisional figures for the fourth quarter of 2006.  The value and volume indices of the restaurant receipts in the third quarter of 2006 and the fourth quarter of 2006 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.

     The Report on Quarterly Survey of Restaurant Receipts and Purchases containing the analysis of the fourth Quarter of 2006 results is now available for download (in PDF format) free of charge at the "Statistical Bookstore, Hong Kong" (www.statisticalbookstore.gov.hk).  The print version of the publication can be purchased in the following ways:

* Purchase in person at the Publications Unit of the C&SD (Address: 19/F, Wanchai Tower, 12 Harbour Road, Wan Chai; Tel: 2582 3025).  The publication is for sale at HK$6.0 per copy.
* Complete a mail order form which is available for downloading from the website of C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/products_and_services/other_services/provision_of_stat/mail_ordering_of_publications/index.jsp) and return it to C&SD.  Price (excluding postage) is the same as above.
* Purchase online at the Statistical Bookstore or the Government Bookstore of the Information Services Department (www.isd.gov.hk/eng/bookorder.htm).  Print version if purchased online is offered a discount and is sold at 85% of its original price.  After discount, the price (excluding postage) is HK$5.1 per copy for the publication.

     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/Friday, February 9, 2007
Issued at HKT 16:15

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