Vendors at the Hong Kong Food Festival have remained conservative on sales with some finding less visitors this year than before. The five-day event ending Sunday began on Christmas Day at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai. One merchant, surnamed Lok, said the weeks-long Hong Kong Brands and Products Expo in Causeway Bay has pulled away potential customers. “It's obviously because the Brands and Products Expo is being held at Victoria Park at the same time. It opened a day earlier than us. Its admission fee is HK$10, and here, it is HK$30. Admissions are free there after 7pm, but people still need to pay here," she said. "From the perspective of consumers, I think they will go to the expo and check out local brands." Despite the drop in footfall, vendor Wong said his business saw a 15 to 20 percent jump from last year. "This year, people are relatively more willing to spend. It's true that there are fewer people than previously, but the purchasing power is stronger," he said. A resident, surnamed Mak, said he spent around HK$1,000 at the festival. "I don't normally buy this much. I bought more than usual because of the variety and promotions," he said. “There were less people this year, it was more crowded last year. It could be because some left Hong Kong to spend elsewhere." This year's food festival was held alongside several other shopping events, with around 1,000 booths participating in total.
