Hong Kong supermarket chain Uselect winds down operations amid relentless retail slump

A few outlets display signs announcing closure by end of October, while Post finds residents who pick smaller shops in effort to support local

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Several Hong Kong branches of Uselect on Sunday displayed signs notifying customers they would be closing by the end of October. Photo: Handout

Published: 9:30pm, 13 Oct 2024Updated: 9:01am, 14 Oct 2024

Supermarket chain Uselect has become the latest business to wind down its operations in Hong Kong amid a relentless retail slump, even as some residents said they preferred smaller stores and continued to seek out local shops against prevailing trends.

A slew of businesses in the retail and restaurant sector have announced their closure in recent days, weeks and months, as more residents have headed to mainland Chinese cities to spend or opted to tighten their belts in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Uselect appears to be the latest chain owned by state-owned China Resources Group winding down its operations just days after its health product business CR Care announced it would shut all 19 of its local branches in November after 13 years in Hong Kong.

The supermarket chain operated around 100 locations as recently as last year, but its website on Sunday showed only 40 remained, a number of which were in the process of being closed down, a Post check revealed.

Signs were displayed outside the chain’s Queen’s Terrace location in Sheung Wan – among the 40 open locations listed on the Uselect website – announcing the shop would cease operations on October 23.

Other locations in Tin Hau and Chai Wan also reportedly displayed notices saying those branches would also close before the month was out.