Browsers outnumber buyers at Hong Kong Book Fair as sales fall

More than 1,000 shoppers turned out on the final day of the annual Hong Kong Book Fair on Tuesday, even as some exhibitors reported weaker foot traffic and spending throughout the week compared with last year.Several booksellers told the South China Morning Post that shifting consumer habits and unstable weather during the seven-day event had dampened business.Sally Ng Wai-shan, an editor at Match Media Limited, said foot traffic had fallen further from last year’s already subdued levels.She estimated overall sales could drop by 30 to 40 per cent, though books on supernatural topics and fortune-telling continued to sell relatively well.“The book fair used to be packed with crowds pulling suitcases,” Ng said, recalling her past visits as a regular attendee.An SCMP reporter observed that most visitors were empty-handed, with only a handful pushing trolleys or suitcases – once a common sight at the fair.