Provisional statistics of restaurant receipts and purchases for the second quarter of 2012 released
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     The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) released the latest provisional figures on restaurant receipts and purchases today (August 2).

     The value of total receipts of the restaurants sector was $22.1 billion in the second quarter of 2012, up by 4.2% over the second quarter of 2011.  Over the same period, the value of total purchases by restaurants increased by 0.9% to $7.8 billion.

     After discounting the effect of price changes, total restaurant receipts fell by 1.4% in volume in the second quarter of 2012 compared with a year earlier.  The relevant components of the Consumer Price Index are used as deflators.

     Analysed by type of restaurant, total receipts of fast food shops increased by 8.3% in value and 3.9% in volume in the second quarter of 2012 compared with a year earlier, while total receipts of miscellaneous eating and drinking places increased by 6.6% in value and 0.6% in volume.

     Total receipts of Chinese restaurants increased by 3.2% in value but decreased by 3.0% in volume in the second quarter of 2012 compared with a year earlier.  Over the same period, total receipts of non-Chinese restaurants increased by 3.0% in value but decreased by 2.3% in volume.  As for bars, total receipts increased by 2.3% in value but decreased by 2.7% in volume.

     On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison, the volume of total restaurant receipts decreased by 2.0% in the second quarter of 2012 compared with the first quarter of 2012.

     Comparing the first half of 2012 with the same period in 2011, total restaurant receipts increased by 5.2% in value but decreased by 0.7% in volume.

     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 also compiled.

     Analysed by month, the value of total receipts of the restaurants sector was provisionally estimated at $7.2 billion, $7.5 billion and $7.4 billion respectively in April, May and June 2012.  The provisional value of total purchases by restaurants was $2.5 billion, $2.7 billion and $2.6 billion respectively in April, May and June 2012.

     After discounting the effect of price changes, total restaurant receipts decreased by 1.3%, 2.3% and 0.6% in volume respectively in April, May and June 2012 compared with a year earlier.

     Table 1 presents the revised figures of total purchases by the restaurants sector and restaurant receipts by type of restaurant for the first quarter of 2012 as well as the provisional figures for the second quarter of 2012.

     Table 2 presents the revised value indices of restaurant receipts by type of restaurant for the first quarter of 2012 and the provisional indices for the second quarter of 2012, with the average value index of restaurant receipts from October 2009 to September 2010 taken as 100.

     Table 3 presents the revised volume indices of restaurant receipts by type of restaurant for the first quarter of 2012 and the provisional indices for the second quarter of 2012, with the average volume index of restaurant receipts from October 2009 to September 2010 taken as 100.

     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 second quarter of 2012 (with breakdown by month) will be released through the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/hkstat/sub/bbs.jsp) and relevant publications of the Department starting from September 20, 2012.

     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.

     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/hkstat/sub/sp320.jsp?productCode=B1080002).

     Users who 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).

Ends/Thursday, August 2, 2012
Issued at HKT 16:30

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