Less spending

HONG Kong's retail sales weakened in March with the total value dropping 7.7 percent from a year earlier to HK$20.8 billion (US$2.7 billion) and volume down 9.3 percent, the Census and Statistics Department announced yesterday.

Taking the year's first three months together, total retail sales in the first quarter dropped 3.9 percent in value, or 5.5 percent in volume, from the same period last year.