Locals help rebooting Macau retail and restaurant activity

Supportive measures for the Macau retail and restaurant trade resulted in a mild improvement in business during May, according to official data.

According to a Statistics and Census Service report, 17 percent of restaurants surveyed in the special administrative region recorded a year-on-year increase in revenue during the period, 12-per-cent higher than those reporting increases during the previous month.

The remaining restaurants continued to see declines in revenue during a period that continued to suffer from the heavy impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Similarly, 16 percent of retailers questioned saw sales increases during May this year compared to the same period last year, 7 percent higher than reported year-on-year rises during April.

A quarter of restaurant businesses are now anticipating comparative upticks in revenue or steady revenues to be reflected in their June results – while 21 percent of retailers expect the same.