With a number of negative factors at play, and the capability of retailers to
cope with change, we expect a structural shift in Hong Kong's retail sector. We
noticed that some of the luxury retailers are consolidating their shops to get
through the slowdown, which will unlock more retail space to the market and
bring in more retailers that offer goods and services for local consumers. On
the other hand, more shopping malls are diversifying their tenant compositions
and trying to recruit more mid-range retailers or SMEs with more flexible leasing
terms. Let's look forward to a changing retail landscape with more variety and
broader brand diversity for 2016.
As in previous years, the Association has put forward our recommendations on
the Policy Address and Budget to the Government. This year, we particularly
urged the Government to consider providing designated support to retailers to
drive retail innovation and technology. We suggested that the Government to
consider setting up a cross-bureau taskforce to devise a holistic policy to enhance
retail innovation and technology, and to support retailers to stay competitive
under the megatrends of omni-channel retailing, O2O (online-to-offline)
integration, and the rapidly increasing use of technology in retail so as to sharpen
Hong Kong's edge as the well-known shoppers’ paradise.
In December 2015, the Government launched a six-month public engagement
exercise on retirement protection, which included a discussion of the MPF
offsetting issue between severance payments and long service payments. The
Association believes that the abolishment of the long-established MPF offsetting
mechanism will definitely add pressure to SME retailers amid the current business
slowdown. We urge the Government to carefully gauge the impact on different
sectors, especially the SMEs and the labour market. The Association is now
collecting views from our members regarding the changes in the MPF Scheme
with consideration of their competitiveness and labour costs.
The Association's Annual Ball & Retail Award Presentation Ceremony was
successfully held on 8 December, 2015. We received over 1,200 guests and
filled 106 tables at HKCEC to celebrate another year's hard work. I would like
to express our sincere thanks to our Guest of Honour, Mrs. Carrie Lam, Chief
Secretary for Administration, for officiating the event and presenting the trophies
to the winning companies of the "2015 Service Retailers of the Year" under our
Mystery Shopper Programme.
Moving forward to 2016, the Association, as always, is prepared to represent the
retail fellows and advise the Government on any industry-related issues. I would
like to invite you to join the Association as members in 2016 to enjoy exclusive
benefits and networking opportunities.
As the Year of Monkey is approaching, may I wish you all a prosperous and
fruitful year!
面對種種不利因素，零售商正調整策略作出應
對，預料香港零售業將會出現結構性轉變。協
會發現部分奢侈品零售商將店舖整合後，市場
上的零售店舖有所增加，讓其他零售商得以加
入，為本地消費者提供產品和服務。另一方
面，愈來愈多商場增加租戶種類，又嘗試以更
有彈性的租賃條款吸納更多中價或中小企零售
商。
2016
年將會迎來全新的零售市況，產品
和服務種類與品牌也會更多元化，令人期待。
一如往年，協會就施政報告和財政預算案向政
府提交了意見，今年更特別促請政府為零售商
提供特定支援，推動零售業創新及科技發展。
協會建議政府成立跨部門的專責小組，制定完
善的政策推動零售業創新及科技發展，讓零售
商在面對全渠道零售、
O2O
營銷模式及零售科
技迅速普及等大趨勢下，依然能保持競爭力，
從而提升香港作為購物天堂的優勢。
政府於
2015
年
12
月展開為期半年的退休保障
公眾參與活動，包括討論強積金與遣散費及長
期服務金對沖的問題。協會相信，在目前低迷
的環境下，取消沿用已久的強積金對沖機制，
必然會為中小企零售商增添壓力。協會促請政
府審慎評估此舉對不同行業的影響，特別是中
小企及勞動市場。協會現正就修訂強積金計
劃，以及其對會員競爭力和勞工成本的影響向
會員收集意見。
另一方面，年度盛事周年晚宴暨頒獎典禮已
於
2015
年
12
月
8
日假香港會議展覽中心圓滿舉
行，共
106
席、逾
1,200
位嘉賓聚首一堂，分
享大家努力一年的成果。謹此感謝政務司司長
林鄭月娥女士蒞臨主禮，並頒發獎項予「神
秘顧客計劃」下「
2015
年全年最佳服務零售
商」的得獎企業。
踏入
2016
年，協會將繼續代表零售業發聲，
並就任何與業界相關的議題向政府反映意見。
本人誠意邀請大家在
2016
年加入成為協會會
員，享受獨家會員禮遇之餘，亦能廣拓人脈。
猴年將至，謹祝各位新一年業務蒸蒸日上，
財源廣進！
Message from Legislative Councillor (Functional
Constituency Representative for Wholesale & Retail)
立法會議員之話 批發及零售界功能組別代表
Hon. Vincent Fang, SBS, JP
方剛先生
The objective of the annual Policy Address and Budget should give direction
to the medium and long-term development of Hong Kong and many in the
community have a stake in what is contained in these important documents.
Therefore political parties and business associations would eagerly express
their views during the public consultation exercise prior to their release.
Regrettably, both the Policy Address and the Budget were disappointing for
failure to focus on issues of immediate concern. We have looked upon the
Administration to undertake proactive measures to help pull Hong Kong
through the imminent and challenging environment but the Chief Executive
shifted his focus to medium and long-term strategies. I was left with the
impression that his Policy Address was intangible and vague.
The Chief Executive devoted a fair amount of his Policy Address to the way
Hong Kong should compliment Mainland's "One Belt One Road" strategy
including proposals to establish a "Belt & Road Office" in Hong Kong and
branch offices in countries along the route, as well as offering financial
support to students from those countries. There was also a major push to
invest in technological development.
Although both initiatives were heading towards the right direction, major
capital investments would be required and it will take a very long time to yield
economic benefits. The local economy meanwhile has started its downward
trend last year. The business sector has proposed to the Government to
consider solid measures to boost the economy and domestic consumption but
the Policy Address only touched briefly on the tourism, trade and retail sectors
with no effective proposals.
The Policy Address not only failed to deliver any solution to tackle the
economic plight, the endless bickering in the Legco with filibustering actions
becoming worse has further aggravated the situation. Anything backed
by the Chief Executive would be opposed by the Pan Democrats with the
copyright amendment bill, which has just undergone second reading and
the funding request for the Hong Kong Zhuhai Macau Bridge, suffering from
the same fate.
每年的施政報告和財政預算案，是香港未來一
年，以至中長期的發展方向，也影響着公司及個
人的財政利益；因此，政黨、商會社團，才認真
地準備建議去回應兩項報告的諮詢。但很可惜，
每次公布的內容總叫人失望，並非是建議是否獲
接納，而是總未能對焦現實情況，有時是缺乏中
長綫的發展策略，要不就像剛公布的施政報告，
當大眾期望政府能採取一些積極政策，協助香港
度過未來具挑戰性的一年，以至中短期的經濟調
整期時，特首卻重點關注中長期的發展策略，難
免令我覺得“虛無縹緲＂！
剛發表的施政報告中，行政長官用了較多篇幅介紹
了他將如何部署去配合國家去年提出的“一帶一
路＂經濟發展策略，包括設立專責辦公室、在沿
“帶＂國家設立辦事處和提供獎學金吸引當地學生
來港升學等；另一重點則是投放較大量資源推動創
新科技發展。
儘管這兩項大政策，在方向上是正確的；只是，無
論是一帶一路的發展規劃，抑或鼓勵創新科技、初
創企業發展，都是需要較大的資金投入、和較長時
間才能產生實質經濟效益。然而，香港經濟去年已
經開始走下坡，甫踏入
2016
年，負面消息更排山
倒海而來，商界在過去的三個月諮詢期均向政府提
出，希望有較具體的措施去刺激今年的經濟和內部
消費的措施，惟報告對旅遊、貿易和零售這等傳統
產業，只是輕輕帶過，未見任何良方妙策！
施政報告未能解困之餘，立法會的爭鬥、拉布行動
更日趨惡化，只要是現任行政長官支持的，泛民就
公然反對！剛完成二讀程序的版權條例是，正在財
務委員會爭持的港珠澳大橋增加撥款亦是！
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