Visitors flock to Hong Kong Brands and Products Expo, with ‘food plaza’ making welcome return after years of pandemic curbs

On Saturday, thousands of Hongkongers gathered at one of the city's largest annual bazaars, the Hong Kong Brands and Products Expo. This year marked the 57th edition of the event, which saw a larger crowd compared to the pandemic times. However, vendors noted that shoppers were being cautious with their spending. The expo, organized by the Chinese Manufacturers’ Association of Hong Kong, took place at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay and will continue until January 8. Among the first customers was Hong Kong's leader, John Lee Ka-chiu, who spent more than HK$3,400 on various goods, including a handcrafted bag for his wife and dried oysters for his mother.

Lee expressed his delight at the vibrant atmosphere of the expo, expressing hope that the joyful mood would persist through Christmas and the New Year. He encouraged residents to spend within Hong Kong as part of a government initiative to rejuvenate the local economy. The 24-day expo features over 900 booths selling a wide range of products, from food to home appliances, and beauty and health products, all at substantial discounts. The organizers reintroduced the 'food plaza', a zone dedicated to selling hot items and snacks, and taste-testing, both of which were absent during the pandemic years.

Patrick Or, a 50-year-old office clerk, shared that he attends the expo every year and noticed a significant increase in the number of attendees this year. He attributed the rise in visitors to the fact that they can now eat at the expo. Or also mentioned that he spent a few hundred dollars on soup packs, noting that while the prices were similar to those in shops, the convenience of having a variety of products in one place was a major draw.