Victoria Park fair stall auction peaks at HK$50,000
Thestandard · 1 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Bidding for dry goods stalls at the Victoria Park Lunar New Year Fair continued on Thursday, with the top-selling pitch reaching HK$50,000. That made it this year’s highest-priced dry goods stall so far, about 2 percent lower than last year’s peak. Regular and large stall opening prices were unchanged at HK$8,540 and HK$12,810 respectively. Several bidders said the lower prices could ease operating pressure, even as some remained cautious about holiday spending and weekday footfall.
Key Points
- The top-selling dry goods stall was Stall 46, near the tennis courts and the Hing Fat Street exit in Tin Hau, which sold for HK$50,000.
- The HK$50,000 winning bid was about HK$1,000 below last year’s peak, marking a slight year-on-year decline of roughly 2 percent.
- Thursday’s auction covered 138 dry goods stalls, while opening prices stayed unchanged from last year at HK$8,540 for regular stalls and HK$12,810 for large ones.
- Large Stall 1, a sought-after pitch near the park entrance, sold for HK$34,000, around 30 percent less than last year, to the same bidder.
- Bidder Lai said his family has sold traditional snacks including put chai ko for more than a decade, while another stallholder and student bidders voiced mixed expectations.
Why It Matters
The auction results offer an early gauge of trader confidence ahead of one of Hong Kong’s best-known seasonal retail events. Lower winning bids at prime locations may reduce cost pressure for operators, but comments from stallholders also suggest uncertainty over consumer spending and the fair’s weekday-heavy run-up to Lunar New Year.