A fast food stall at the annual flower market has been won by a wedding company for a record amount of HK$630,000 during an auction at Queen Elizabeth Stadium on Monday. However, the successful bidder was not optimistic that the stall will fetch a profit.
The auction, held this Monday to Wednesday, invites bids for stalls at the Lunar New Year Fair at Victoria Park next year. A total of 180 wet goods stalls and three fast food stalls were successfully let on Monday, while 140 dry goods stalls and eight thematic stalls were bid for on Tuesday.
A spokesperson for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department said that the auction was attended by 660 people on Monday, and another 1,100 on Tuesday. Bids for wet goods stalls ranged from $10,170 to $64,000, with the highest bid six times its opening price.
The successful bidder for the 7.6 x 4.8 metre fast food stall was a wedding banquet group called Club ONE. They told The Sun that they were worried recent news of a mainland tourist getting into a fight outside a jewellery store and forced shopping would deter visitors and that there may be a huge drop in numbers as a result. This is the third consecutive year that the company has successfully bid for the spot. They said that the bidding amount had already exceeded their budget but they were prepared to operate at a loss.
Hui Fai-win from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department said that he was pleased with the results of the bidding. He also said the fact that all three fast food stalls were let at a record amount reflected the confidence bidders have in the economy.
Hui also said that the sale of goldfish will be banned at flower markets starting next year, after previous years saw them being thrown out alive after the event.
This February, around a thousand goldfish were found at the side of the road and in rubbish bins near a new year market in Yuen Long, most of which suffocated to death.
The auction will continue on Wednesday.
