Unusually warm weather in Hong Kong has caused premature blooming of flowers at Lunar New Year fairs, compounding challenges for sellers amid a sluggish local economy that has curbed consumer spending.
Unusually warm weather in Hong Kong has forced flower sellers at Lunar New Year fairs to contend with premature blooms while also navigating a retail landscape where heavy foot traffic masked a tightening of local purse strings.
On Sunday, the Observatory recorded a maximum temperature of 26.9 degrees Celsius (80.4 Fahrenheit) at its headquarters in Tsim Sha Tsui, matching the record set in 2010 for the same day in the lunar calendar.
“Winter has become like summer, which is not a good phenomenon for flowers or farmers,” Li Wing-keung, director of Keung Kee Garden, said.
Li, who was running a stall at the Mong Kok fair, said the warm weather had forced farmers to spend significant resources on managing the temperatures of plants to slow down the blooming process.
Homemaker Jessica Lam, who buys narcissus every Lunar New Year, said she noticed the plant was cheaper than when she visited the fair at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay last year. Many of the narcissus were already in full bloom due to the warm weather, she said.
Temperatures aside, vendors also said the poor economy had cooled consumer spending. Competition from rivals over the border, such as Pinduoduo and Taobao, has added pressure. Fairs are held in locations including Mong Kok, Causeway Bay, and Tai Po, but sales have fallen short of expectations, according to members of the Hong Kong Flower Retailers Association.
Li Wing-keung added that farmers have had to invest in extra cooling equipment to maintain flower quality, increasing costs. Consumers like Lam noted that while prices are lower, the early blooms have reduced the flowers' appeal.