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Tips | Spotlight on Nathan Road Shopping | Spotlight on SoHo and NoHo Shopping | Spotlight on Causeway Bay Shopping
Updated by Kate Springer
They say the only way to get to know a place is to do what the locals do. When in Rome, scoot around on a Vespa and drink espresso. When in Hong Kong, shop. For most people in this city, shopping is a leisure activity, whether that means picking out a four-figure party dress, rifling through bins at an outlet, upgrading a cell phone, or choosing the freshest fish for dinner.
Shopping is so sacred that sales periods are calendar events, and most stores close on just three days a year—Christmas Day and the first two days of Chinese New Year. Imagine that: 362 days of unbridled purchasing. Opening hours are equally conducive to whiling your life away browsing the racks: all shops are open until 7 or 8 pm; many don’t close their doors until midnight.
It’s true that the days when everything in Hong Kong was mind-bogglingly cheap are over. It is still a tax-free port, so you can get some good deals. But it isn’t just about the savings. Sharp contrasts and the sheer variety of experiences available make shopping here very different from back home.
You might find a bargain or two elbowing your way through a chaotic open-air market filled with haggling vendors selling designer knockoffs, the air reeking of the chou tofu (“stinky” tofu) bubbling at a nearby food stand. But then you could find a designer number going for half the usual price in a hushed marble-floor mall, the air scented by the designer fragrances of your fellow shoppers. What’s more, in Hong Kong the two extremes are often within spitting distance of each other.
Needless to say, thanks to travelers like you running out of space in their suitcases, Hong Kong does a roaring trade in luggage. No need to feel guilty, though—shopping here is practically cultural research. All you’re doing is seeing what local life is really like.
Tips
Bargaining 101
Prices are always negotiable at markets, and you can expect discounts in small shops, too, especially for electronics or if you buy several things at once. We usually suggest starting to bargain at half the advertised price: you might end up with anything from 10% to 50% off. Be firm and decisive: walking away from a stall can often produce a radical price drop. Don’t let anyone guilt-trip you; no Hong Kong salesperson will sell you anything that doesn’t cut them a profit.
Catwalk Hong Kong
Local and regional talent is showcased at Hong Kong Fashion Week, held at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre every January and July. For more information on fashion week or featured designers such as Guo Pei, Dorian Ho, and Frankie Xie, visit www.hkfashionweekfw.com. To read profiles of Hong Kong designers, visit www.hkfda.org, the website of the Hong Kong Fashion Designers Association.
Comparison Shop
Prices vary hugely. For big items, do research before the trip and then comparison shop in different districts. Ask clerks to record prices on store business cards: it helps you to keep track and ensures that you get the quoted rate if you return to buy. Keep expectations realistic. A US$5 (about HK$40) pure silk shirt probably isn’t pure silk. That said, it may still be a good shirt at a great price.
Finding the Perfect Fit
There are no two ways about it: most Americans stand a few inches taller (and wider) than the average Hong Konger. Finding bigger sizes, particularly at cheap shops, can be frustrating. Tailoring—thank goodness it’s affordable here—may be the only way to go.
Real Deal
Authentic jade can be tricky for the casual shopper to spot, but a couple of simple tricks can help discern genuine from ersatz. When lifted, jade should be heavier than a similarly sized stone. Hold it to the light, and it should look fibrous, not homogenous. A more full-proof technique relies on the shopkeeper’s cooperation. Scratch the surface of the stone in question with a knife, scissors, or whatever is on hand, and it shouldn’t leave a mark.
Sales Season
Hong Kongers look forward to sales like other people look forward to summer vacation. From late December through February and July through September, prices plummet. It may be retail heaven, but it isn’t therapy—shoppers all but wrestle bargains from each other at hot sales like Lane Crawford’s or Joyce’s. Many shops frown on trying things on during sales. Stand your ground, though, and you’ll probably swing a fitting room.
Shopping Tours
Asian Cajun.
Asian Cajun runs tours to choice shops, including little-known stores and private dealers. | 9278–4174 | www.asiancajun.com.
Hong Kong Art Walk.
The art world’s version of a pub crawl, Hong Kong Art Walk is an excellent chance to experience the gallery scene. Held over the course of one evening every spring, it gives ticket holders unlimited access to more than 60 galleries where food and drinks donated by neighboring restaurants help create a festive environment. Proceeds go to charity. | www.hongkongartwalk.com.
Shopping 4 U.
Malls, markets, and outlets are a part of tailor-made tours led by Shopping 4 U. Book through Concorde Travel (2524–5121 | www.concorde-travel.com). Daylong tours cost HK$650 per person (10-person minimum). | Galuxe Bldg., 8–10 On Lan St., 7th Fl., Central.
Tricks of the Trade
Be wary of absurd discounts, designed purely to get you in the door. Product switches are also common—after you’ve paid, they pack a cheaper model. Avoid electronics shops in Tsim Sha Tsui, which have earned fearsome reputations thanks to their relentless bait-and-switch tactics. These neon-lit shops are fun to wander through, but do yourself a favor and stick to accountable chain brands for pricey buys. Check purchases carefully, ensuring that clothes are the size you wanted, jewelry is what you picked, and electronics come with the accessories you paid for. Always get an itemized receipt. Without one, forget about getting refunds.
Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB).
Shops displaying the Hong Kong Tourism Board’s (HKTB) “quality tourism service” sticker (an easily recognizable junk boat) are good bets. You can complain about prices or treatment at one of several HKTB offices strewn throughout the city, or submit an inquiry online. Find centers at the Peak, in Kowloon, and even at the airport. | The Peak Piazza, Central | 2508–1234 | www.discoverhongkong.com.
Hong Kong Consumer Council.
For complaints about all shops not approved by the Hong Kong Tourism Board, call the Hong Kong Consumer Council. | Room 1410, Kodak House II, 39 Healthy St. East, North Point | 2929–2222 | www.consumer.org.hk | Closed weekends.
Watch Out for Fakes
The Hong Kong government has seriously cracked down on designer fakes. Depending on how strict the police are being, you may not find the choice of knockoffs you were hoping for. Bear in mind that designer fakes are illegal, and you could get into trouble if you get caught with them going through customs.
Finding Your Way
With space at a premium, shops and small businesses are tucked into all sorts of places—up the back staircase of a scruffy building, down an alleyway, or on an office tower’s 13th floor.
What to Shop For in Hong Kong
Calligraphy Supplies. Granted, becoming a master brush painter takes years. But calligraphy equipment makes a wonderful display, even if your brushwork doesn’t. Boxed sets of bamboo-handled brushes, porcelain inkwells, and smooth ink stones start at HK$200 at Yue Hwa.
Kitchen Souvenirs. Remind yourself of all those dim sum meals with souvenirs to dress up your dining room. You’ll find black-lacquer chopsticks and brocade place mats in street stalls all over town. Stanley Market has beautiful appliqué table linen. Department stores like Wing On sell cheap bamboo dim sum baskets—good for cooking or storage.
Kung-Fu Equipment. If you’re addicted to Jackie Chan action flicks, you’ll likely love Kung Fu Supplies Co. Stock up on everything from drums to daggers while you work on that drop kick.
Personalized Seals. Have your name engraved in Chinese, English, or both on traditional chops (seals). Made of wood, stone, or even jade, they’re usually ornately carved, often with animals of the Chinese zodiac. Sets come with a tub of sticky red ink. Man Wa Lane in Sheung Wan is a great place to find them.
Silkware. Silk dressing gowns and basic cheongsams (silk dresses with Mandarin collars) are a bargain in markets and at Yue Hwa or Chinese Arts & Crafts. For more luxurious versions, try Shanghai Tang or Blanc de Chine, which also do men’s Mao jackets. Get some brocade cushion covers for a matching bedroom.
Tea Accoutrement. Yixing teapots like those from homegrown brand Fook Ming Tong (www.fookmingtong.com) will melt even coffee-guzzlers’ hearts. For the best brews head to the Lock Cha Tea House in the K.S. Lo Gallery, in Hong Kong Park, where you can sample vegetarian dim sum as well as tea. Lock Cha has a retail outlet in Sheung Wan (U/G 290B Queens Rd. Central, Sheung Wan | 2805–1360 | www.lockcha.com), which also holds weekly tea classes. Standard leaves come in pretty tins at local supermarkets like Park ’n’ Shop. Yue Hwa does cheap porcelain tea sets.
Spotlight on Nathan Road Shopping
With its frenetic forest of clashing neon signs, Nathan Road is a postcard image of a busy Hong Kong street. It’s also the main artery through a throbbing cluster of markets and shopping streets.
If it’s a rarified shopping experience you’re after, forget it: this ’hood is all about bargains, and it’s a different world from the organized chaos of Central’s covered walkways. Once you step off poker-straight Nathan Road, you can become lost in the perpetual stream of humanity weaving through the streets. But focus on all the amazing finds, and it’s easier to fend off claustrophobia. Whether you’re after classic Chinese souvenirs, jewelry, gadgets, clothes, shoes, or brand-name rip-offs (naughty you), it’s all here. Keep your valuables tucked away safely, and keep that map in your hand. Nathan Road itself is the best landmark. Chinese street names are totally different from the anglicized versions, and many local people don’t speak English.
Best Time To Go
Arrive early to see communes of old men hanging their birdcages and chatting in the morning sunlight as the Bird, Goldfish, and Jade markets gather momentum at around 9 am. Mong Kok’s clothing markets open at midday and specialize in cheap bags, jeans, and toys. Temple Street’s Night Market comes alive after dark.
Best Gift For Mother-in-Law
Just because it looks like antique jade doesn’t mean it is. Keep her having happy thoughts for years to come with a carved soapstone coaster or trivet, around HK$90, from Kansu Street Jade Market.
Rejuvenating
Chuan Spa.
If it’s a quiet moment you’re after, your best bet is Chuan Spa, which overlooks the city from the top floor of arctic oasis Langham Place Hotel. In five-star spa surroundings, consult with a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner: you’ll likely be prescribed cupping (an ancient Chinese acupressure technique), acupuncture, or myofascial therapy (a gentle massage and stretching technique), all of which aim to distribute chi (energy) throughout the body and promote health and balance. (Or you could just have a massage.) | Langham Place Hotel, 555 Shanghai St., Mong Kok, Kowloon | 3552–3510 | lphkg.info@chuanspa.com | www.chuanspa.com.hk.
What You Want
Bargains
Fa Yuen Street. Feast your eyes on all the kicks you’ve ever wanted.
Me & George. Rummage for vintage treasures including tea dresses and men’s leather jackets.
Yuen Po Street Bird Garden. These delicate birdcages make perfect planters to hang outside your window back home.
Souvenirs
Temple Street Night Market. Although Temple Street stalls peddle a lot of kitschy souvenirs and knockoffs, this market is worth a visit for the atmosphere alone.
Yue Hwa Chinese Products Emporium. If haggling isn’t your thing, this long-standing institution offers all manner of “Made in China” items at set prices.
Spotlight on SoHo and NoHo Shopping
Best Time to Go
Shops here tend to close on Sundays, operating from around 11 am to 9 pm the rest of the week.
Best Gift for Your Sibling
Earth-friend relations will love a stylish reusable shopping bag from G.O.D. Made of canvas and synthetic leather, the totes are printed with classic Hong Kong images.
Refueling and Rejuvenating
Portobello.
Step off the Midlevel Escalator and enjoy delicious tea and cake at Portobello. | 9 Staunton St., SoHo, Central | 2523–8999 | www.stauntonsgroup.com.
Peak Café Bar.
A popular people-watching spot overlooking the Mid-Levels Escalator, the decadent Peak Café Bar draws a crowd with its extensive international menu, savory pizzas, and happy-hour deals. More often than not, the breezy, open-air lounge is the watering hole of choice for expats who aim to mainline G&Ts on sunny afternoons. | 9–13 Shelley St., SoHo, Central | 2140–6877 | www.cafedecogroup.com.
Happy Foot.
A foot massage is the ultimate post-shopping treat. Don’t be put off by the “no screaming” signs at Happy Foot, next to the escalator. A lighter touch can be applied on request. | 11th fl., Jade Centre, 98 Wellington St., Central | 2544–1010 | www.happyfoot.hk/mavista/cms/en/home.
What You Want
Art and Antiques
Arch Angel Antiques. This shop specializes in Chinese rarities, from pocket-size marvels to multistory statues of horses, warriors, and porcelain vases.
Connoisseur Art Gallery. Past the ubiquitous bazooka-wielding nymphs is a superlative collection of Chinese artwork. Seek out future stars at sister gallery Connoisseur Contemporary, next door.
Schoeni Art Gallery. Here you’ll find the big names in Chinese avant-garde, including Yu Chen, Chen Yu, and Zhang Lin Hai. The Hollywood Road site is a showcase; the main gallery is a minute’s walk away on Old Bailey Street.
Best Boutiques
Fang Fong. Small but perfectly formed collection of affordable, sophisticated vintage and Asian-influenced designs include silk day dresses and sequined cocktail attire.
Spotlight on Causeway Bay Shopping
Best Time to Go
Opening times vary, but noon is the most common. Shoppers are still going strong at 10 pm on weekdays and till 11 pm on weekends. Sale seasons run from December to February and July to September.
Best Souvenir
Hipster magnet D-mop showcases items from the hottest international alternative fashion lines.
Milan Station is the city’s largest, most discerning chain for pre-owned designer handbags.
Rejuvenating
SPA by MTM.
SPA by MTM, a Japanese spa, is a sanctuary, where products are custom blended on-site. The aesthetic is as important as the physical treatments, and each room has a specific identity. | Shop A, 3 Yun Ping Rd., Causeway Bay | 2923–7888 | www.spabymtm.com.
Neway Karaoke.
As a home-away-from-home for Japanese nationals, Causeway Bay is also the spiritual center of karaoke in Hong Kong. Just west of Victoria Park, Neway Karaoke is among the most popular places to belt out a tune, and boasts a pretty good English song menu. | 2–8 Sugar St., Causeway Bay | 2137–9777 | www.newaykb.com | Station: Causeway Bay.
What You Want
High-End Heaven
Lee Gardens and Lee Gardens Two. Lee Gardens houses classic blue-blood labels including Hermès, Chanel, and Christian Dior, while Lee Gardens Two features
Rock-Star Style
Bauhaus. For the best rock-star duds in town, this multistory fashion gallery is a favorite of former Jane’s Addiction front man Perry Farrell.
Pink Martini. This tiny boudoir gets more ink in fashion magazines than its size would dictate, thanks to its affordable tea dresses, shoes, and vintage jewelry.
Rat’s Cave by Start from Zero. Street fashion meets graffiti art in this hole-in-the-wall boutique that’s stocked with edgy graphic prints and handcrafted home decor.
Bargains
Aroma Natural Skin Care. Housed in mazelike minimall Island Beverley, this tiny store sells cult skin-care products at low, direct-import prices.
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