Hong Kong Habits Changed by Protests

Ricky Wong of HKTV sees a 40 percent jump in online sales since the protests

 

The anti-government protests in Hong Kong are now into their 21st week. This is the new normal for the city, and its residents are adapting the best they can.

With the pseudo curfew thanks to the MTR closing early, (now 11pm this week, but 10pm for Saturday and Sunday), it has changed the way people live in the city.

More and more people are shopping online for convenience

People are dining much earlier now, as restaurants need to close early so that their staff can take the MTR to get home. I've heard even wedding banquets, which typically start around 8pm, now finish by 9.30pm so that guests can make their way home.

At the same time taxis, Uber, buses and even trams are getting more business from people who would have normally taken the MTR.

The alternative is staying housebound and having everything delivered to you. Online shopping has gone up over 40 percent in Hong Kong, with people ordering prepared food to groceries, clothes and even furniture at the click of a mouse.

Before the protests people would have personally gone to shops because they were close by or they were purchasing something they had to examine in person. And grocery shopping... everyone picks their own produce, right?

However there are some people who now really depend on these services to continue functioning and it's created a boon for these delivery companies. We all need to eat, right?

The Rosewood offers a luxurious deal for a room

Hotels are hurting badly from so few tourists coming to Hong Kong and are pushing staycation deals to local residents. Some offers are too hard to pass up -- a room for a night plus dining credit that covers more than half the price of the room... Sad but true.

High-end hotels like Rosewood in Tsim Sha Tsui that opened earlier this year are offering two nights accommodation for the price of one night. If you are into over-the-top luxury, this is an unbeatable price. Personally I'd rather stay home, but there are some people who want to feel pampered.

Everyone in the hospitality industry, from hotels and restaurants to retail must be pressuring the government to do something to end the protests. But is Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor listening? The government is doling out subsidies for those in the transportation sector, and encouraged landlords to help their tenants. This isn't enough or much to give people hope the government is concerned about them.

Banquets now finish much earlier for guests to go home

As one chef-owner told me recently, now it's survival of the richest -- who has the deepest pockets to keep operating in these adverse times...