Hong Kong gears up for World Cup ticket sales

Global Business

As football fans prepare to snap up over 180,000 tickets up for sale on FIFA’s website this week, Hong Kong intrepid entrepreneurs and businesses gear up for the windfall profits they’re expecting from the world’s biggest football event in the world. CCTV’s Cathy Yang reports.

Hong Kong gears up for World Cup ticket sales

As football fans prepare to snap up over 180,000 tickets up for sale on FIFA's website this week, Hong Kong intrepid entrepreneurs and businesses gear up for the windfall profits they're expecting from the world's biggest football event in the world. CCTV’s Cathy Yang reports.

As frenzied football fans snap up World Cup tickets on FIFA’s website from this week.

Hong Kong intrepid businesses are latching on to the windfall opportunity of the world’s biggest football event. Here in Mong Kok, sportswear retailer Jimmy Wong isn’t missing a beat. The 43 year-old started selling these football jerseys since December, and they’ve been selling like hotcakes since.

Jimmy Wong, Shop Owner of Free Kick, said: “Nowadays, the most sellable items I think are jerseys. For the teams, the most sellable are Japan, Germany, Spain, Argentina and Brazil. And apart from jerseys, we’re going to have licensed souvenirs like earrings, plush toys, scarves.”

And to get the biggest bang on his buck, Wong is setting up a pop-up store in this mall in Kowloon East from next week. Even this mall itself is gearing up for the month-long event. APM has set up huge video screens, where it plans to broadcast live all 64 World Cup matches.

Mall operator Sun Hung Kai expects sales to reach over 45 million U.S. dollars in those 32 days, and attract up to 10 million visitors to the mall.

CCTV reporter Cathy Yang interviewed one of the World Cup Fans in Hong Kong.

Cathy Yang: “Will you watch it here in the mall.”
Terry Chan: “Ah yeah, probably, because I just live nearby and I work nearby.”
Cathy Yang: “And which team are you rooting for?”
Terry Chan: “Spain!”

And there’s also something for those that just want a World Cup selfie or two. This five-meter tall Japanese anime character Kojiro Hyuga from “Captain Tsubasa” stands mighty big in one of the upscale malls smack in the middle of the world’s priciest shop rents, in Causeway Bay. He sports an “Adidas Battle Pack – Brazil”, newly released by the sporting company in time for the World Cup event. It’s an added attraction next to the huge Apple store nearby, and also a reminder of all the hype surrounding the event.

Hype it is not, far as Jimmy’s concerned. He’s expecting to rake in 20 to 30 percent sales here in Hong Kong over the next month – from an event that’s happening half way around the world in Brazil.

Investment firm Goldman Sachs says Brazil will win the World Cup this year. Analysts came to that conclusion by comparing each team’s past performances. CCTV’s Sean Callebs is joined by Saruhan Hatipolgu of BERI Consulting, and asked what he thinks of Goldman’s prediction.

Saruhan Hatipoglu on World Cup predictions

Investment firm Goldman Sachs says Brazil will win the World Cup this year. Analysts came to that conclusion by comparing each team's past performances. CCTV’s Sean Callebs is joined by Saruhan Hatipolgu of BERI Consulting, and asked what he thinks of Goldman's prediction.