20 h. ago Hong Kong consumer watchdog receives 9 complaints after balloon festival fiasco

Hong Kong’s hot-air balloon festival has been forced to deflate all its balloons on display due to the scorching weather, a day after failing to secure a licence for a tethered ride and suspending the attraction, which led to at least nine complaints to the city’s consumer watchdog. The Consumer Council said it had received nine complaints totalling HK$16,933 (US$2,171) regarding the AIA International Hot Air Balloon Fest Hong Kong as of noon on Friday, with one case involving HK$4,956. The...

Politics

7 d. ago How Asian consumers are driving a revolution in healthier food choices

Asia’s rising middle classes are not just fuelling economic growth – they’re reshaping consumption itself. Nowhere is this transformation more visible than in the region’s embrace of healthier eating. From Hong Kong to Jakarta, a new generation of consumers is driving a quiet revolution in food choices. But is this a more lasting realignment of preferences or merely a pandemic-fuelled detour? Market research suggests consumer attention on health will grow. China’s healthcare-related consumer...

Politics

2 w. ago Hong Kong’s telehealth services lack transparency and guidance: consumer watchdog

Hong Kong’s private telehealth services are lacking transparency and guidance, the city’s consumer watchdog has found, calling on authorities to offer detailed guidelines and for the industry to specify qualified service providers. The Consumer Council released findings on Tuesday of a study that reviewed problems with the city’s telemedicine services, which have gained traction since the Covid-19 pandemic. “The state of the telehealth market in Hong Kong is at the beginning stage,” said council...

Politics

2 w. ago Hong Kong telehealth services lack transparency and guidance: consumer watchdog

Hong Kong’s private telehealth services are lacking transparency and guidance, the city’s consumer watchdog has found, calling on authorities to offer detailed guidelines and for the industry to specify qualified service providers. The Consumer Council released findings on Tuesday of a study that reviewed problems with the city’s telemedicine services, which have gained traction since the Covid-19 pandemic. “The state of the telehealth market in Hong Kong is at the beginning stage,” said council...

Politics

3 w. ago Hong Kong consumer watchdog records 17,000 online shopping complaints in 2024

Hong Kong’s consumer watchdog recorded some 17,000 complaints linked to online shopping last year, accounting for about 40 per cent of all cases, with issues including the inability to return products, delays that caused fines, and loss of packages. The Consumer Council on Thursday also revealed that 148 online shopping complaints related to logistics services were received between January and July, which nearly doubled to 279 this year over the same period. One such complaint involved a...

Economics

4 w. ago 80% of mainland Chinese shoppers bought Hong Kong products online: poll

Nearly 80 per cent of mainland Chinese consumers polled have said they shopped online for Hong Kong products, according to survey findings by the statutory trade body, which called for the city’s retailers to step up live streaming and influencer marketing. The Hong Kong Trade Development Council said on Thursday that its findings were based on a survey of 2,200 middle-to-high-income consumers from various mainland cities during the second and third quarters of 2024. The poll showed that 78 per...

Politics