Hawkers in Mongkok district : a study in retailing geography

by Ho, Seck-fun

I

I

OF THESIS ENTITLED

" HI~tHamS IN MOJroICOK DISTRICT.

A STUDY IN RET 1.I LING GOEGMPHY."

submitted "by HO SIGeK FUN

fo~ the degree of MiiST}~R OF PHILOSOPHY

at

the University of Hong Kong in Septembe:r}972

i1

Most ~f the hawkers in the urban areas of Hong Kong do

business in n simple and bazaa~like wny on the st~eets 0~ in

off-street bazD,a:rs. They are mainly rete.ilinG in function,

distributing or offering low-price goods and services. Shops,

with their higher overhoad expencli'tu1"Gs, oanno? competo success-

fully with them. BecD,use of the spatial and economic oonvenionce

offered, hawkers are welcomecl and pat:ronisQd by most of tho

h0useholds in tho uyban a,yeas. The;y, together \lTi;;b. the sme,ll

shops, :t'0presorrt the traditional type of t"ottJ,iling, '\"lhioh coexists

with the modern sector in the "economic dualism" of Hong Kong.

In Hong Kane, ha~vkers as Totail'<.'rs have not"bc,(n ctuC.iecl j,n' gr:oat

details and there is lit'tlt informa:bion on 'thoir locD,tiona.l aspect.

The purpose of the p:t'0S(mt study is to find ou't 'bhGi:r looa?ional

preferonces, to analyse the in-ternal org"miso;tlon and the trfl.clinc

a:rea of a hawkor oonoontrn:tion, a,nd to study 'l;he mobility of the

From 1;ho field \'lork cl0nG in ~~ongkok Distriot, it has beon

found 'that most h<.l.\'lTkors in Mongk:ok arc fl.ssooie.t ed ,vi th 'the mixod

residential and commercial zono, where the donso populo~ion

provides a. VD,st number of po'tontinl customers, and "the eoonomio

activities help 'to p:r0mote the business of ha'l,vkers. Becll.use

of 10w generative PO\vo:r, hawkers attemp't to inor0fJ,so their business

by loca'\;ing at place v1i'th heavy peclestrie,n flow, or a.dl10ring to

spatia,l affinities, 01" by aGG'lomo:ra;tion, ,iThioh m$ans th~;t hewkerl3

selling similar goods 1r1i11 oluste:r 'together to inorease theit

"cumulative attraction".

From tho fiold itlOTk, i't has also boon founcl th[\'t mobile hD,lri .??

kers in Mongkok do not have a high degree of mo'bili'ty, beoause

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mobility in the densoly popU].f\:\;ad l.u:ba.n areas is not really practical, and hawkers need to haye regular customers OT be -rela.ted"" t1>." fixed-pitch ha\"~ke:rs o:r shops. The pedlars should, tho1'efo11'o, be stabilised instead of being left "bs?ructing 1;ho st;reets.

In :recent years, the large number of hawkers in Hong Kong h,we caused so much oongestion and so many unhygienic conditions that the government is trying to reduoe their number to tho minimum

and to move as many hawkers as possible from 1he stt:eets to off-. stree"t bazaars. In spi'te of the problems they causo, hawke:rs do offer much oonvenienoe to the households. They will remain an imponant clement in retailing in Hong Kong if the:ra fl.!'O no othe17 modern and efficient ma:rketing facili ti0s to :replace them.