Macau Statistics and Census Bureau: The operating income of interviewed catering merchants increased by 1.9% year-on-year in November 2024.

According to data from the Macau Statistics and Census Bureau, the turnover of surveyed catering merchants in November 2024 increased by 1.9% year-on-year, with the turnover of Japanese and Korean restaurants rising by 12.6%. In the retail industry, the turnover of surveyed merchants in November decreased by 9.2% year-on-year, with the turnover of watches and jewelry, cosmetics and hygiene products, and leather goods recording year-on-year declines of 24%, 12.8%, and 11.2% respectively, while the turnover of automobiles increased by 26.9%. Compared to October, after the end of the National Day Golden Week, the turnover of surveyed catering merchants in November decreased by 4.2%, with the turnover of Chinese restaurants, teahouses, and congee and noodle shops declining by 4.3% and 3.7% respectively. On the other hand, the turnover of surveyed retail merchants in November decreased by 8.3% month-on-month; with the turnover of watches and jewelry and supermarkets recording declines of 15.6% and 11.5% respectively, while the turnover of automobiles increased by 17%. In terms of turnover expectations, 35% of surveyed catering merchants expect the Christmas holiday in December to drive a month-on-month increase in turnover, with corresponding proportions of 56% and 35% for western-style restaurants and Japanese and Korean restaurants; about 17% of catering merchants believe that turnover in December will decrease month-on-month. In the retail industry, 42% of surveyed merchants expect a month-on-month increase in turnover in December; with corresponding proportions of 63%, 48%, and 43% for department stores, adult clothing retailers, and watch and jewelry retailers. Additionally, about 20% of surveyed merchants believe that turnover in December will decline month-on-month. In terms of the Business Outlook Index reflecting surveyed merchants' expectations of changes in turnover month-on-month, the index for the catering industry (59.3) and the retail industry (61.5) are both above 50, indicating that surveyed merchants in both industries generally expect better business performance in December than in November.