Opatra Hong Kong executive quits as sales probe widens
SCMP · 1 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago2 MIN
Summary
A top executive at Sayles Retail, the Hong Kong operator of UK-based beauty chain Opatra London, has resigned as the company faces a widening customs investigation into alleged coercive and misleading sales practices. The development emerged after two managers were arrested under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance, while the company’s four Hong Kong branches suspended operations and a related outlet in Tsim Sha Tsui was found boarded up
Key Points
- Sayles Retail filed a Notice of Resignation of Company Secretary and Director with the Companies Registry on Wednesday, but the filing remained pending on Thursday
- Company records list Ascentium Secretary (HK) as company secretary, with Omri Sayles, Yehonathan Naftali Gamliel and Avraham Avi Dotan as directors
- Hong Kong customs arrested the firm’s 42-year-old financial manager and 25-year-old administration manager on Wednesday under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance
- Customs said it had received at least six complaints alleging coercive and misleading sales tactics, with reported purchases ranging from HK$1,800 to HK$100,000
- Opatra’s four Hong Kong branches, in Sha Tin, Yuen Long and Causeway Bay, suspended operations, while the Lux Boutique outlet at Harbour City was boarded up and locked
Why It Matters
The case is escalating from consumer complaints to corporate and criminal scrutiny, with arrests, a resignation filing and shuttered outlets all adding pressure on the operator. For Hong Kong shoppers, the investigation may shape how authorities respond to alleged high-pressure retail sales targeting middle-aged and elderly consumers