HONG KONG, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- The value of total retail sales rose by 13.4 percent in Hong Kong in the first half year over the same period last year, statistics showed on Wednesday.

Thomson Cheng Wai-hung, chairman of the Hong Kong Retail Management Association, forecast retail sales will be robust this year.

In June, the value of total retail sales rose 12 percent from the same period last year, according to the Census and Statistics Department of the government of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

The sales value of jewellery, watches and clocks, and valuable gifts rose by 27.8 percent in June. This was followed by sales of commodities in supermarkets.

A government spokesman indicated that retail sales value sustained double-digit growth over a year earlier in June, as local consumer sentiment stayed favorable amid a tight labor market while visitor arrivals continued to record solid growth.

Looking ahead, favorable job and income conditions and buoyant inbound tourism should continue to provide support to the retail sector in the near term, the spokesman said.