The value of Hong Kong's total retail sales in June increased 11 percent year on year, the city's Census & Statistics Department announced Thursday.

According to statistics, the retail sales value was provisionally estimated at 34.8 billion HK dollars (about 4.46 U.S, dollars). After netting out the effect of price changes over the same period, the volume of total retail sales increased 8.5 percent compared with a year earlier.

For the first half of 2012, total retail sales increased 13.1 percent in value and 9 percent in volume year on year.

Analyzed by broad type of retail outlet and comparing June 2012 with June 2011, the volume of sales of miscellaneous consumer durable goods increased the most, by 103.3 percent while the volume of sales of furniture and fixtures decreased the most, by 8. 2 percent.

The revised estimate of the value of total retail sales in May, at 36 billion HK dollars, increased 8.7 percent over May 2011, while the volume of total retail sales increased 5.7 percent.

Based on the seasonally adjusted series, the volume of total retail sales increased 1.9 percent in the second quarter of 2012 compared with the first quarter.

The Census & Statistics Department said that the growth pace of retail sales picked up in June, thanks to the resilient local consumption demand and to the rapid increase in visitors in that month.

The department forecast the retail business should continue to benefit from the still-vibrant job market and further expansion of inbound tourism in the near term. However, it called for vigilance against potential negative spillover from the difficult external environment to local consumer sentiment going forward.