Cotton Council International, a non-profit organization which represents the US cotton industry in 45 countries and region, announced in its latest survey that as compared with the results in 1999, Hong Kong people are less prone to 'impulse purchase' and have more considerations before buying.

According to the organization's findings in 1999, Hong Kong tops all markets when its comes to impulse purchase. Recently, this ranking has dropped from 70 percent in 1999 to 50 percent, and follows Germany and Britain.

However, as compared with other Asian regions such as Japan, China's Taiwan province and South Korea, Hong Kong shoppers are still the most impulsive buyers in Asia, the survey found.

"This could be the result of the intensive retailing atmosphere to be found in Hong Kong," said Jeff Coey, director of the China and East Asia office of Cotton Council International.

As for clothing expenditure, the spending of Hong Kong people reportedly decreased by up to 25 percent from 1999.

Regarding shopping frequency, approximately 60 percent of the respondents said that they would go shopping for clothes more than once a month, and the percentage is higher than that of other Asian regions such as Taiwan, South Korea and Japan.

The survey also indicts that Hongkongers wear casual clothes at work more frequently among other Asians. As many as 47 percent of them usually have casual wear at work.

(China Daily February 25, 2002)