Coronavirus hits China’s gold jewelry demand as shoppers stay away

The loss of life toll from the outbreak has topped 1,000 and consumers are staying away from public locations to keep away from an infection, whereas additionally limiting their spending to primary requirements equivalent to groceries. Jewellery retailers equivalent to Luk Fook Holdings Worldwide Ltd. are shortening enterprise hours and managing day without work for workers in an effort to stop the illness from spreading.

“Persons are not within the temper to buy jewellery,” mentioned Zhang Yongtao, chief govt officer of the China Gold Affiliation. “Shops and procuring malls are closed due to the virus,” he mentioned, including that gross sales of gold jewellery and bars will drop considerably this yr.

Metals Focus, a London-based analysis agency, sees a 6% drop in gross sales in China this yr, extending an estimated 7% drop in 2019 to a seven-year low. It mentioned the decline might transform “significantly acute” given the Lunar New Yr has historically been the busiest interval.

The disaster comes at a time when bodily demand is already struggling in China and India, the world’s largest gold customers, attributable to rising costs and slower financial progress.

Retailers are already reeling from the long-running, pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong — and Luk Fook noticed a big drop in retailer gross sales and day by day retail visitors throughout mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau in the course of the Lunar New Yr, in response to Deputy Chief Government Officer Nancy Wong. The corporate has applied some staff-cost saving measures and launched Valentine’s Day promotions to cushion the influence of the virus.

Bullion is buying and selling close to the very best stage since 2013 on decrease rates of interest, and as geopolitical tensions and the virus outbreak despatched buyers seeking haven belongings. If the unfold of the illness continues to speed up or develops right into a pandemic, extended weak point within the Chinese language financial system and its influence on international markets ought to present a powerful increase to gold, Metals Focus mentioned final week.

Hong Kong retailers might see their revenue from town drop in 2020 amid the outbreak, in response to Bloomberg Intelligence. Chow Tai Fook Jewelry Group Ltd., the world’s second-biggest jewellery chain by market worth after Tiffany & Co., plans to close about 15 of its shops in Hong Kong after web earnings fell following the demonstrations that drove vacationers away.

Jewellery makers are additionally feeling the ache. The Hong Kong Jewellery Producers’ Affiliation has flagged that working effectivity at Chinese language factories would possibly solely be at about 20% to 30% as some staff would possibly nonetheless keep at house, and expressed issues that orders from retailers on the mainland might drop. Retailers’ gross sales volumes of gold jewellery might plunge 70% within the first quarter, from the identical interval a yr in the past, mentioned Chairman Benny Do.

“In my 40 years within the jewellery trade, I’ve by no means seen the complete Chinese language market floor to a halt like now,” mentioned Do.

This story has been revealed from a wire company feed with out modifications to the textual content. Solely the headline has been modified.