高力：金融业成铺市新动力 预计香港核心区铺租年内再涨5%

Core Insights - The rental market for retail spaces in Hong Kong is experiencing changes, driven by increased investment demand, particularly from the financial sector, which is expanding its presence in core areas [1] - It is projected that rental prices in core areas will increase by 5% this year, continuing the upward trend from the previous year [1] Retail Sales and Tourism - Retail sales in Hong Kong reached HKD 345 billion in the first 11 months of last year, showing a year-on-year increase of 0.4%, with a continuous growth for seven months starting from May [1] - The number of tourists in Hong Kong approached 50 million last year, reflecting a growth of over 10% compared to the previous year, indicating a positive outlook for the tourism industry this year [1] Rental Market Dynamics - The rental activity for retail spaces has increased due to the stabilization of the retail market, with rental prices for core street shops rising by 2.9% year-on-year [1] - The vacancy rate in the four major core areas (Causeway Bay, Central, Tsim Sha Tsui, and Mong Kok) decreased by 1.9 percentage points quarter-on-quarter, with Central and Tsim Sha Tsui experiencing the largest declines of 2.4 and 3.3 percentage points, respectively [1] - There remains significant potential for rental price increases in prime street locations, with expected growth of 3% to 5% this year, as current rental levels are still considerably lower than peak periods [1]