Banks, Mainland brands drive demand in Hong Kong's prime retail districts

And experience-led formats are driving retail demand.

Hong Kong's core retail districts are benefiting from new sources of occupier demand, with banks, securities firms and Mainland consumer brands helping to support leasing momentum, according to Savills.

The consultancy highlighted several major retail leasing transactions completed recently. HSBC leased more than 50,000 sq ft at Capitol Centre in Causeway Bay for approximately HK$4 million per month to consolidate and expand its wealth management operations. OCBC took 9,400 sq ft at 35 Queen's Road Central at around HK$1.5 million per month, while DBS leased 4,500 sq ft at the Holiday Inn Golden Mile on Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Tsui for about HK$1.2 million per month to strengthen brand exposure.

Securities firms have also been active. Longbridge leased a 1,106 sq ft ground-floor shop at Tai Hung Fai Centre in Tsuen Wan for HK$200,000 per month, while Forthright Securities secured a 14,000 sq ft three-storey retail space at 188 Des Voeux Road Central for its first Hong Kong flagship.

Savills also pointed to continued expansion by Mainland consumer brands. Menswear retailer HLA leased approximately 3,202 sq ft across the ground floor and basement of China Travel Building in Central for its first Hong Kong store at roughly HK$400,000 per month. Fragrance brand To Summer opened its first Hong Kong flagship in Causeway Bay in September 2025, marking its first outlet outside Mainland China.

The report said retail formats are evolving alongside demand, with physical space increasingly used for branding, customer engagement and experiential consumption rather than purely for sales. Savills cited Live Nation's new 1,500-capacity TIDES venue at Whampoa and the expansion of Fever's Candlelight concert series across venues including PMQ as examples of how event-led experiences are helping generate foot traffic and support retail-adjacent uses.

According to Savills, these trends favour operators that can benefit from concerts, pop-up culture and social media-driven discovery, rather than relying solely on conventional walk-in demand.