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“YOU buy now… show me your wallet.” This was the common refrain ringing in visitors’ ears for years. No longer. Hong Kong shopkeepers these days sport smiles that would shock an average Singaporean. This may be due to the post-SARS honeymoon, or a general loosening up, but there’s no denying that the Hong Kong shopping experience is getting better and more varied. Yes, pottering about Tsim Sha Tsui’s fabled “Golden Mile” along Nathan Road, can still be fraught with peril – chiefly bait-and-switch, where the shopper puts money down for one model and is handed another. Jewellers have been in the news for passing off fakes.
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Broadly, however, things are on the up and bargains can be had in this most extravagant of cities – if you know where to look (the Hongkong dollar is pegged at US$1 = HK$7.8). If you encounter any problems, simply call the Consumer Council hotline (tel: [852] 2929-2222, www.consumer.org.hk). This consumer watchdog received 2,108 complaints in 2006. Statistically speaking then (based on visitor arrival numbers of 25 million) the odds are stacked in your favour – you have a just one in 12,000 chance of buying a dud.
Shopping in Causeway Bay
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| Top-drawer
window/ photo: VijayVerghese |
Causeway Bay is eternally popular with local shoppers and tourists. From department stores, to small boutiques and bargain stalls, everything can be found here in a tight cluster. Of course, it will still take you a whole day to walk through this shopping carnival. The Japanese Sogo department store (tel: 2833-8338, www.sogo.com.hk) is an all-purpose starting point. At the Level 9 “Event Hall”, special promotions and big sales are the fare with rotating sales on leather jackets, handbags, cosmetics, apparel and sports goods. Next to Sogo on Hennessy Road, the Sony Style HK flagship store on the 16th floor of East Point Centre (tel: 2882-0101; www.sonystyle.com.hk) offers the latest state-of-the-art Sony products. (There’s another 6,000sq ft Sony Style in Mongkok’s Wai Fung Commercial Building, between Nathan Road and Sai Yeung Choi Street, which is easily accessed from the Mongkok MTR station [Exit D1 or D3].) Pop into the World Trade Centre next to the Excelsior Hotel for mid-range fashions. Just behind the World Trade Centre the popular cut-price Sparta (jeans, t-shirts and casual wear) has moved a few shops up the street still on Jaffe Road.
Next to Sogo on Great George Street, the Island Beverley (tel: 2890-6823) and Causeway Place shopping arcades are handy for trendy clothes and accessories. If you’re short on time, try Island Beverley, featuring mainly local designers and imported Japanese and European clothing. You can get a pretty fashionable top or trousers for under HK$300 (US$38). Also, explore trendy shopping mall La Foret (www.laforet.hk) behind Sogo for more fashionable items. From here, Fashion Island (Max Mara, Sisley, Benetton, Vivienne Tam and Gay Giano). Style House (Park Lane Hotel Shopping Arcade), Windsor House (tel: 2895-6796) and Hang Lung Centre (tel: 2890-5962) are good hunting grounds. Style House has the likes of agnes b, K-2 (tel: 2808-1407, www.kitterick.com.hk), Ztampz (www.ztampz.com), IKEA, HMV and more. Stop by for a break at the Park Lane Cafe One.
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| Trendy Hidehiko Yamane / photo: Winnie Choi |
Hang Lung Centre does not have many shops but you can still potter about and explore Sasa, Broadway and Giga Sports. The former is a rip roaringly succesful discount chain for all things perfume and beauty related. Good testers too. Drop by Franc Franc (tel: 3427-3366, www.francfranc.com) on the second floor for some funky Japanese home accessories and stationery.
Wander along to 51-57 Paterson Street to find the I.T. shopping buffet (www.ithk.com). I.T. is a Hongkong trendsetter and has over 60 outlets around the city. Its brands include Comme de Garcons, Helmut Lang, Tsumori Chisato, Miu Miu, Paul Smith, Zucca and more. You’ll find I.T. (and i.t.) all over the place. Why the upper and lower casing? The lower-case i.t. has more brands for the younger set, like As Know As de base (tel: 2890-9636), b+ab (tel: 2881-1090), 5cm (tel: 2880-9336), Vivayou (tel: 2808-1689), Tsumori Chisato (tel: 2881-1348), Abahouse Devinette (tel: 2808-4698) and more. These are all arrayed along Paterson Street. The youthful i.t. brands tend to be a tad cheaper than at I.T. This company is not to be confused with Far IT that handles retail outlets for mid to top-end brands like D&G, Versace jeans and Gian Franco Ferre. At the corner of Kingston and Cleveland Streets nearby, there are several furniture shops, such as HECOM on the first floor and Decor on the ground floor and basement. There are two camera shops at the Paterson Street and Great George Street intersection. Expect gruff surly service at Tat Ming Electrical Co. The adjacent Yat Fai Photo is marginally more pleasant.
Causeway Bay’s big and teeming meeting ground is Times Square (tel: 2118-8900, www.timessquare.com.hk). The place is a rendezvous spot for everyone from teenagers to gawping tourists. It's big, sleek and well stocked. Hang out below the giant video screen to watch the annual New Year countdown. As with New York's Times Square (the inspiration for this festive tradition) the revelry is jolly, unrestrained and over-the-top. Small wonder then it's called the Apple Countdown. At the Times Square mall you’ll find upmarket flavours at Lane Crawford (tel: 2118-3638, www.lanecrawford.com) with its dizzying array of posh brands like Hugo Boss, Burberry and Alberta Ferretti. When it comes to 70-percent-off crazy sales here it can still cost around HK$500-900 for a pair of ladies shoes. Other popular stores in Times Square include the Spanish fashion chain Zara and City Super store.
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| Imposing Times Square/ photo: Verghese |
Fancy some crazy Japanese Inventions? Check out the Times Square’s JC Shops (tel: 2103-2783, www.jcshop.com.hk) and JC Ladies (tel: 3102-2718, www.jcladies.com.hk) at Level Nine (Shop 919). They stock stuff like Surf Boy Indoor Surfing Machine (HK$4,680), Ultrasound Whitening Facial Massager (HK$580-$1,980), Hello Kitty AV products (HK$1,680-$3,380) and a lot more.
Times Square also offers a good selection of jewellery. Trendies can head to J’s (tel: 2506-2071), Just Gold Just Diamond (tel: 2506-3381, www.justgold.cc), PN, Emphasis (www.emphasis.com.hk) and Pink Box, for a romantic gift (B-231, tel: 2506-3906, www.pinkbox.com.hk). A Different Corner (shop B-247, www.adclink.com) offers antique-style accessories using Swarovski crystals (under warranty). Prices here are from HK$200 and up for small earrings to HK$1,000-$5,000 for elaborate chokers and necklaces. Also drop by Links of London (Shop 305) and Follie Follie (Shop 304).
If you’re a shoe buff called Imelda but without the unlimited war chest, there are lots of cut-price alternatives in Times Square. Check out Joy & Peace (tel: 2506-2872), Pedder Red, Mirabell (www.mirabell.com.hk), InNiu, Zara, Killah, agnés b, Anna Siu, Camper or the extremely comfy offerings at Aerosoles (www.aerosoles.com). It is also worth exploring the area behind Times Square, particularly Sharp Street (where the Holiday Inn Express is located) and Yiu Wah Street. You won’t be disappointed if you are looking for local designers’ and imported clothing, accessories and shoes. Try Olivia Couture (tel: 2838-6636, www.oliviacouture.com) for gorgeous evening dresses and Qi Pao.
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| H&M, Central / photo: Winnie Choi |
At the corner of Sharp and Percival Streets is the Lee Theatre Plaza, featuring a huge Muji shop on the third floor, a three-storey Esprit with an Esprit Hair Salon on the second floor, many furniture shops and restaurants. Also, opposite the plaza, there is the newly opened Timeplus mall. Like the Island Beverley, it offers fashionable items at affordable prices. Visit King Silver (Shop F23, tel: 6386-3864) for silver necklaces and accessories. Look for young fashion at AnM (Shop S08), A@N (Shop F34) and Glamour & Girl (Shop S07). Not far is the crowded alley of Jardine's Bazaar where you'll find all manner of bric-a-brac, cheap clothing and women's wear accessories.
And that's not all. If you have a pooch or feline in tow, pop by the Dog One Life (tel: 3105-5550, http://hk.dogonelife.com) at 459 Lockhart Road near Sogo where every imaginable pampering and product is on offer for your pet. Shampoo and blow-dry? No problem.
Not far, slightly away from the normal shopper’s beat at 254 Gloucester Road, Elizabeth House, is the outlet for Hidehiko Yamane (tel: 2574-0893), a trendy Osaka fashion house. Funky stuff galore. Check out embroidered charcoal and dark-blue denim jeans for men and women (starting at HK$1,500) and printed t-shirts (from HK$380).
At 271 Gloucester Road is an old stalwart, Mountain Services Outdoor Boutique (tel: 2541-8942, www.daruma.com.hk). Specialising in outdoor and travel gear, the shop sources new and high-end items from around the world. Products range from fleece and Gore-Tex garments and thermal underwear to headlamps and anti-shock poles for hiking.
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| Harvey Nichols: Stylish/ photo: Charlain Lim |
FATTO AMANO (tel: 2881-7153), previously named Beatnik, which used to be in this area, has now moved to Tsing Fung Street in Tin Hau. The store specialises in second-hand American '70s t-shirts and informal wear, priced anywhere from HK$80 to HK$1,000 depending on pattern, quality and stock. Starting prices for vintage leather jackets are from HK$980.
New Zealand Focus (tel: 2151-0652, 439-445 Hennessy Road, MTR Causeway Bay, Exit B) sells food products, drinks and natural health and skincare products from New Zealand. Open 11am-10pm daily. The charming The Gems has moved from Sun Hung Kai Centre in Wanchai to Causeway Bay (I Lee Garden Road, Tel: 2890-3068, www.thegems.com.hk). The shop stocks a range of colourful and tasteful Tibetan woollen and cotton blouses and jackets for men and women. There are also some crystal accessories and embroidered Tibetan woollen boots. The sizes are often odd but there's always something that fits and the prices are very reasonable. A Chinese-style blouse might start at HK$130 up and a woollen jacket could be upwards of HK$450.
Shopping in Central, Admiralty, and Wanchai
The upwardly mobile will rush to Central where, along with tossing their husbands’ lifetime pensions into a shopping black hole, they can see and be seen. The mother lode of top-drawer brands in Hongkong is the trio of Landmark, neighbouring Prince’s Building and the stylish Chater House (tel: 2842-8539, www.CentralHK.com) where you can have your unhurried fill of Armani, Prada, Dior, Fendi, Louis Vuitton, Max & Co, Polo Ralph Lauren, Chanel, Celine, Ermenegildo Zegna, Escada, Gucci, Versace and so on. Several of these outlets have been dramatically reinvented, the latest being the newly opened Gucci flagship store next to the Landmark Mandarin Oriental. Chater House includes several Armani options including flower arrangements and some fabulously expensive home furnishings.
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| Shanghai Tang/ photo: Winnie Choi |
Apart from the shopping, the Landmark is a popular meeting point. Tech-buffs should breeze through Oregon Scientific in Prince’s Building where all manner of drool-worthy items are on offer including weather clocks that also plot the phases of the moon. A Philippe Starck designer clock will set you back just around HK$730 and a finger-pulse checker and calorie counter around HK$210. Hungry or thirsty? Visit ThreeSixty (www.threesixtyhk.com; 3rd and 4th floors, Landmark) for organic foods and wines, “earth-friendly” household products and other healthy and environmentally friendly options. ThreeSixty also offers an extensive range of take-home and ready-to-eat food meals.
Around the corner at 10 Queen's Road Central is the giddy Bape Store (tel: 2868-9448) complete with the big gorilla logo at the entrance. Walk in to a minimalist white store with a glass floor and conveyor belt underfoot carting bright walking and sports shoes priced at upwards of HK$1,000. Go ape here with jeans at HK$2,000 and up, and t-shirts at upwards of HK$400. That's a lot of cash for a splash of style jet-fresh from Japan.
Across Pedder Street, facing Landmark, is the graciously ageing Pedder Building which stocks an array of clothing outlets and niche boutiques. Occupying the ground floor and basement, Shanghai Tang (tel: 2525-7333, www.shanghaitang.com) offers brilliantly hued silks for all occasions, from gowns and figure-hugging cheongsams to jackets and pajamas. Launched in 1994, Shanghai Tang is a Hong Kong landmark and it’s hard to walk in without picking something up. Never mind the wallet. Housed in the historic Pedder Building, this flagship store occupies 12,000sq ft on two floors. Take your time, rummage about, grab an eye-catching gift. Check out the new Shanghai Tang store at Pacific Place Mall in Admiralty, or shop on the fly at its airport outlet.
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| Pedder Building/ photo: Vijay Verghese |
One floor up in the Pedder Building, Blanc de Chine offers a more refined, tempered translation of Chinese high fashions. Fronting the chic, new Landmark Mandarin Oriental Hotel on Queen's Road Central, a breezy Central addition is the 60,000sq ft Harvey Nichols (www.harveynichols.com), spread over five floors. It offers a huge range of luxury brands, competing with the famous Joyce Boutique across the road.
Nearby, the newly opened H&M store at 68 Queen's Road Central (tel: 2110-9546 www.hm.com) created a stir when it opened in early 2007, with patrons camping out overnight to be the first to get in and grab the freebies on offer.
Walk down Stanley Street, and you’ll come across Aberdeen Street and a few others like it that climb up in steps from Central to the fashionable Mid-Levels residential area. Party costumes and wigs abound. Check out the old lady selling famous “century-old” eggs at HK$10 for four. It must be pointed out this is an acquired taste. On Hollywood Road you’ll find antiques and art galleries galore. G.O.D (Goods of Desire, tel: 2805-1876 www.god.com.hk) is the spot for original Hong Kong themed fashion and interior products, a heady blend of the trendy, the retro and the kitsch. Other outlets in Causeway Bay and TST's ferry-side Harbour City.
If you’re ploughing through a full-blown mid-life crisis or just need respite from the relentless wallet bashing in Central, wander up Old Bailey Street to The New Age Shop above Hollywood Road (tel: 2810-8694, www.newageshop.com.hk). It houses an interesting assortment of books (nirvana, auras, philosophy, anything really…), CDs, crystals and visiting psychics. For second-hand English language books and music try Flow Organic Bookshop (tel: 2964-9483 www.flowagain.com) along Shelley St and the Mid-levels escalator.
In Sheung Wan, the Protrek shop at 156-157 Connaught Road Central (tel: 2850-7900) has a range of outdoor equipment, including hiking poles. The store is one of a number of outlets around the city – others include the one at 46 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai (tel: 2529-6988) and another in Kowloon at 466-472 Nathan Road, Yau Ma Tei (tel: 2332-8699).
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| Pacific Place, Admiralty/ photo: Verghese |
Apart from their fine restaurants and bars, nearby Elgin, Staunton and Gough Streets in the SoHo (South of Hollywood Road) area offer a variety of shopping options ranging from designer clothing to household products. Check out Meraviglioso (25 Staunton Street) for upmarket women’s fashion items imported from Europe. Prices here are 20 to 30 percent lower than for exactly the same thing in Harvey Nichols. For local designer fashions, check out Ranee K (47 Staunton Street) or SPY Henry Lau (21 Staunton Street). Lianca Central (tel: 2139-2989, 27 Staunton Street, www.lianca.com.hk) does designer-style leather handbags at affordable prices. Tree at 22 Elgin Street offers nice and simple home furnishings and accessories (www.tree.com.hk).
Also in Central, for avid golfers, there’s Central Golf on the ground floor of the Bank of America Tower on Harcourt Road, Central (tel: 2140-6633, www.centralgolf.com.hk), which offers a wide range of apparel and clubs and even has three practise bays. The Golf Link Supplies store at 128 Gloucester Road, Wanchai (tel: 2511-8362, www.golflink.com.hk/eg/main.htm), has anything from golfing accessories to golf carts. Or head to Pure Golf, in the Sincere Insurance Building, 4-6 Hennessy Road, Wanchai (tel: 2156-2088, www.puregolfshop.com) for more equipment. At Unit 2001 United Centre in Admiralty you'll find Golf Town (tel: 2527-8180, www.golftown.com.hk) with a good range of golf equipment, clubs, balls and accessories. Golf Town also has outlets in Causeway Bay on the ground floor of Leighton Centre and in Hankow Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui.
In the Admiralty area is one of Hongkong’s most popular malls, Pacific Place (www.pacificplace.com.hk). It is accessible, busy and well stocked with more designer labels than you could shake a stick at. For the latest cameras, TVs and mobile phones check out Universal Audio and Video Centre (they have a branch in IFC Two as well). Pacific Place mall includes top designer brands like Dior, Agnes b, Vivienne Tam, Max & Co, Momento, Celine, Chanel, Bally I.T, La Perla, Loewe, Louis Vuitton, Salvatore Ferragamo and Zara (Marks & Spencers has moved, but still has a flagship branch on Queen’s Road Central, just opposite Landmark). There is a large Lane Crawford store as well as a Seibu department store. Military buffs and those looking for quality replica miniature hand-painted toy soldiers need only pop into King & Country (www.kingandcountry.com) at Pacific Place for a peek back in time. Great renderings, and expensive.
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| Landmark: chic and big Louis Vuitton |
Lane Crawford runs a chic new spacious outlet on the third floor of the gleaming IFC Two (tel: 2295-3308, www.ifc.com.hk), which also features a range of luxury brands such as Lanvin, Prada, Georg Jensen, Bulgari and Loewe. There are several jewellery stores on the IFC's second floor and a selection of trendy stores such as Zara, Agnes B, Mango and Patrizia Pepe on the first floor. Try Teuscher chocolate from Switzerland (tel: 2462-6432) at Shop 2006 (don’t miss their famous Milk Champagne Truffles). Specialty jewellery shops include Jan Logan (tel: 2918-4212, Shop 3093), Qeelin (tel: 2389-8863, Shop 2059), ARTE (tel: 2295-3980, www.arte.com.hk, Shop 2004A) and Thomas Sabo (tel: 2295-3585, Shop 1002B).
In Wanchai at the Convention Centre (near the Renaissance Harbour View Hotel) is the evergreen Hong Kong Trade Development Council Design Gallery (tel: 2584-4146, www.hkdesigngallery.com) with an intriguing collection of odds and ends from picture frames and fashion accessories to houseware items and laptop speakers. The gallery's mission is to promote creativity and innovation and all products are locally designed.
Close by is the China Resources building which houses the multi-floor Chinese Arts & Crafts (tel: 2839-1888, www.crcretail.com) a longtime Hongkong staple. The place showcases clothes, furnishings, jewellery, jade carvings and artefacts. The group has stores at Star House and Jordan (Kowloon) as well as in Pacific Place (Admiralty), and on Queen's Road Central.
Furniture and home interior buffs should wander along Queen's Road East for a range of fashionable, high and mid-range options. Check out the sleek Asian-inspired Ovo (GF 16 Queen's Road East, tel: 2526-7226, www.ovo.com.hk), the retro Design Link (GF, 11 St Francis Street, tel: 3113-8728) and Aluminium (Shop F, GF Queen's Centre, 58-64 Queen's Rd East, tel: 2577-4066, www.hk-aluminium.com) both tucked down side streets, as well as the eclectic Flea + Cents (1F, 34-38 Queen's Rd East, tel: 2528-0808, www.fleancents.com) for secondhand western design curios at somewhat inflated prices. There's a good run of rattan furniture shops along here too. If you're searching for a good wool shop to finally knit those woollen sweaters for the kids, try the well stocked Cheer Wool Company Limited (Shop No. 1, GF, 24-34 Hennessy Road, tel: 2527-3901, www.cheerwool.com). And just across the street is medimart (GF No. 2 Johnston Road, tel: 2866-8608, www.medimart.com.hk) with a wide array of rehabilitation equipment and medical supplies. You'll find walkers, wheelchairs, bed pans, and aluminium walking sticks that double as foldout stools. There is another medimart at 1065 King's Road, Unit D, GF, Eastern Centre.
Wanchai is also home to a wide range of sports shoes, tennis shoes and funky casual wear for all occasions. For those interested in buying shoes in Hong Kong, or trendy sports shoes, from Reebok, Puma, Nike and Adidas to outlandish brands and designs, scout along Johnston Road and the side streets spiking away towards Queen's Road East. The basement of Emperor Group Centre 288 Hennessy Road houses an entertaining, and cheap, Jusco $10 Shop, while neighbours include a secondhand record shop (that's right, real LPs at Time Traveller, though the name is displayed only in Chinese, 2pm-8pm, Basement 07), and a splendid CD and DVD shop - Rock Gallery Record Co (tel: 2572-9630) that moves in July 2008 to Tai Yao Plaza, 181 Johnston Road. At Rock, find a diverse music selection from Moody Blues, Cream, Taj Mahal and Traffic toYanni.
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| Burberry, Pacific Place/ photo: Verghese |
The Peak & Stanley
While enjoying some spectacular postcard views of Hong Kong, drop some change at The Peak Galleria and The Peak (www.thepeak.com.hk). In addition to the souvenir shops there’s casual wear at affordable prices at U2 (tel: 2849-6839, www.u2.com.hk), a Baby Kingdom, a Dymocks bookshop and a Luk Fook jewellery shop. Then pick preserved dates, candies or “designer” chocolate at Aji-Ichiban (tel: 2849-8317). Farther south, head out for a stunning drive by taxi or bus (Nos. 6, 6A, 6X and 260 from Central) to Stanley. A former fishing village and now a full-fledged shopping and tourist area with bric-a-brac stalls, fancy restaurants and a beach, Stanley is a nice half-day outing. Also on Hong Kong’s south side, in Ap Lei Chau, is Horizon Plaza with several floors of antique and furniture warehouses like Shambala (2F, tel: 2555-2997, www.shambala.com.hk) and Tequila Kola (1F, tel: 2877-3295, www.tequilakola.com). You’ll need to take a taxi here. About HK$70 from Central. Other options in Horizon Plaza include Rimba Rhyme (furniture and home accessories, 5F, tel: 8330-8100) and Irony (furniture, beds and linen, 11F, tel: 2518-8792). There's an Irony in Central as well (tel: 2234-9981).
Shopping in Tsim Sha Tsui
Tsimshatsui is well known for brand shopping, especially around the vicinity of five-star hotels like The Peninsula, Langham (formerly The Great Eagle) and the Marco Polo Hongkong Hotel. Should you be Internet inclined, log on to the Peninsula Boutique and browse their selection of gifts and goodies including chocolates, teas and gourmet coffee. Specially wrapped packages can be delivered to any point in Hong Kong.
Designed to reflect the five Chinese elements of fire, water, wood, earth and metal, the 825,000sq ft Elements shopping mall above Kowloon Station in TST opened in October 2007 offering an ecclectic upmarket designer brand mix of Zara, A/X, Armani, Coach, DAKS, DKNY, Cartier, H&M, Tiffany & Co and more. Tired of shopping? Head to the lively "Fire Zone" at Elements to take in movies, an ice skating rink and music concerts. Get your bearings first. The mall is vast. Information boards could be better placed and better marked. The maps display shop numbers though none of the shops actually carries any number at its entrance. Harbour City (tel: 2118-8666, www.harbourcity.com.hk) is a huge shopping mall with conglomerates like Lane Crawford, City’super (tel: 2375-8222, www.citysuper.com.hk), LCX (tel: 3102-3668, www.lcx.com.hk) and Facesss.
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| Langham Place, Mongkok/ photo: Winnie Choi |
Facesss (tel: 2118-5622) is a giant store that brings nearly all the notable skincare and cosmetic brands in one place. City’super offers food-court style dining but at fancier prices. Nip in for a rest and a bite. For cards and wrapping paper, check out Paper’N Things and Papyrus. There are also quite a few children’s wear and toy stores in Harbour City. Places include Nicholas & Bears (www.nicholas-bears.com), Oshkosh B'Gosh, Chickeeduck, Kingkow (www.kingkow.com.hk), Toys “R” Us (www.toysrus.com.hk) and more. Take a look at Hysteric Mini (www.hysteric-mini.com) for some cute-to-funky kids’ clothes from Japan – at Gucci prices.
Across the road at Silvercord (www.silvercord.hk) you’ll find an extravaganza (www.extravaganza.ws) outlet and an I.T. Sale Shop (tel: 2377-9466). The latter offers 70 to 80 percent off on the last season’s offerings. Other young fashion outlets include Nike, Izzue, and Underground.
One Peking Road nearby has a slew of upscale outlets like Dior, Celine, Escada, Fendi and Zegna. Across the road, on the ground and first floors of the Sun Plaza, you’ll find a big DFS Galleria (www.dfsgalleria.com) , offering designer brands from around the world. In Sun Plaza’s basement there are fashion outlets like D-mop, Twist, a.y.k, Kitterick, DaDa and many others.
The Belgium Diamond House (previously Hong Kong Professional Jewellers) can be found in the New World shopping centre in Tsim Sha Tsui (tel: 2369-2233). Pick your own diamond and observe the setting process. There is a new Sogo between the New World shopping centre and the Space Museum (all are easily accessible and connected by the underground Tsim Sha Tsui MTR and East Tsim Sha Tsui station walkway).
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| Bright DKNY/ photo: Winnie Choi |
Is everything expensive in Tsimshatsui? Far from it. Avoid the rip-off electrical and camera outlets of Nathan Road and walk on to Granville Road. If you’re coming here by underground train (MTR), take the B2 exit at Cameron Road. Granville Road is where you’ll find a huge assortment of garments that won’t hurt your wallet. Blouses and shirts start from HK$30-$40 though you can come across items for less than $20.
Explore the export fashion shops like Uno Oun, Sample Nook, Westwood, Stock Made, Lok Wah Top Place and more. Check out Lung Shing Dispensary (tel: 2367-9274) for a variety of low-cost skincare and hair-care products. Similar shops include Sa Sa and Bonjour, and upstairs outlets such as Queenbee, Tectonic, Trippy and Japan Retail (JR).
The newly opened four-storey gi shopping arcade at 34-36 Granville Road (“gi” stands for granville identity) is open from 11am to 11pm (tel: 3188-5273). You’ll find skincare and cosmetic products on the ground floor, accessories on the first, clothes and shoes on the second and household products on the third. Visit Shiru (www.shiru-cosmetics.com) on the ground floor for high-quality Japanese cosmetics at very reasonable prices. On the second floor look for shop 226 that has friendly staff and sells items from L.A.M.B (http://l-a-m-b.com/default.aspx) at 50 percent off.
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| Big Dior at 1 Peking Road, Kowloon |
Turn into Granville Circuit at 52A Granville Road for Rise Shopping Arcade. This place is similar to Island Beverley in Causeway Bay with lots of local designer shops and imported fashions. Check out Gaite or W for some handmade bags. Hitomi is always popular for office dresses and suits. You’ll find Japanese fashions at Low B Club (owned by the popular Hong Kong pop duo the Twins). Also check out Des.sert for funky clothing and costumes. At 81 Chatham Road and again at 19-23 Austin Avenue, around the corner, you'll find outlets for funky and pricey t-shirt and embroidered jeans labels EVISU and RMC at 1001 (tel: 2375-3010, 2375-3001, www.rmcmartinksohoh.com). Some of the more elaborate jeans will be upwards of HK$2,000. There's a 1001 store selling Red Monkey creations in Central as well at 43 Wellington Street, GF Sun Lee Building.
For fast and fancy tailoring, drop by famous Sam's Tailor (tel: 2367-9423, www.samstailor.com) in Burlington Arcade, off Nathan Road. The unassuming Sam’s has stitched outfits for Bill Clinton, Michael Jackson, Luciano Pavarotti, Serena Williams and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, among others. Manu Melwani will offer you a beer or a Coke while you fuss over your fitting (24-hour suits start at around HK$2,500). Tsim Sha Tsui is also good for elegant leather shoes and sports shoes. Tsimshatsui East offers further low-end browsing possibilities at places like Peninsula Centre (clothes, handbags, Japanese restaurants and even a horologist - Berne Horology, tel: 2576-8668 - where you can haggle over clock and watch repair). Cheap Hong Kong shopping and quick bites continue at Energy Plaza and Inter-Continmental Plaza/Toyo Mall nearby.
Shopping in Mongkok
There is more than a bit of the Wild West in Mongkok but this is the place for rock-bottom deals on anything from fashion to mobile phones and electrical appliances. Take the MTR E2 exit and walk into Yau Shing Commercial Centre on your left. There are six floors selling cameras, digital videos, DVD players and other appliances. On the 16th floor you have Global Audio (tel: 2399-7486/ 2789-1665), 14/F Veto (tel: 2384-6855), 13/F Radio Unison (tel: 2393-6381), 10/F Century AV Centre (tel: 2398-8555), 9/F Cam2 (tel: 2787-0173), 8/F Super King (tel: 2391-5331), 7/F International (tel: 2191-5801) and 6/F Yau Shing (tel: 2393-0881). Prices vary but do bargain stoutly. Some products here do not have warranties so do check this aspect as well.
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| Jardine's
Bazaar/ photo: Charlain Lim |
If you’re in a rush, pop into a Broadway (tel: 2385-5993) or Fortress (tel: 2782-3484, www.fortress.com.hk) in Sai Yeung Choi Street and you’ll certainly find your gadget. Or try Wing Shing Photo Supplies Co. (tel: 2396-6886).
Walk along Nelson Street, and the first street parallel to Sai Yeung Choi is the Ladies Market where you’ll find bargain clothes, bags, toys, VCDs, fake Rolex watches and so on. The next parallel street is Fa Yuen Street South, which specialises in sports shoes and sportswear.
At the MTR Argyle Street D2 exit, you’ll find Argyle Centre which sells cheap fashion items – a T-shirt will set you back at just HK$30 (US$4). Another street which sells similar items plus some export or import fashion is Fa Yuen Street North (MTR B3 exit). Check out Me & George Import Shop. Their prices start at HK$10 – no kidding.
On Argyle Street is the Commercial Podium Sincere House (tel: 2390-4379). In local Cantonese it is referred to as “Sin Tat”. Here you’ll find all manner of mobile phones and accessories. Some shops do trade-ins and warranties are not always available. Langham Place (www.langhamplace.com.hk) on Shanghai Street is a humungous hi-tech mall hosting over 100 trendy boutique stores, such as the likes of Seibu, French Connection, H&M, Muji and a cinema. The mall also features the 83m "xpresscalator", a speedy way to get from the fourth to the eight floors. Mong Kok, or Mongkok as it is commonly written, is a warren of shoe shops amidst the electronics extravaganza. If you are buying sports shoes in Hong Kong, this is the perhaps the best place to head to for a deal. You'll find Adidas, Reebok, Puma, Nike and more. Check around to make sure the brand is legit.
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| Space at Festival Walk/ photo: Charlain Lim |
Kowloon Tong & Festival Walk
Another vast Hong Kong shopping mall is Festival Walk (tel: 2844-2222, www.festivalwalk.com). Take the C exit at Kowloon Tong Station. This is a great spot for the family with ice-skating at Glacier (HK$50 for most sessions, except morning sessions on Mondays to Thursdays, which are HK$45), junk nibbles and more. Though books are not cheap in Hongkong, drop by Page One (tel: 2778-2808) and enjoy their café. A coffee starts at around $30, but beware their surly no returns policy (receipt and packaging notwithstanding). Major stores include Marks & Spencer, Log-On, Franc Franc, Toys “R” Us, Royal Sporting House, Glacier, Christian Dior, Coach, IT, H&M, and more.
Nice suits are available at G2000 (www.G2000.com.hk), Cour Carre, Mexx, Club Monaco, Moiselle (tel: 2265-8282, www.moiselle.com.hk) and Brooks Brothers (tel: 2778-0200). A personal favourite is Giordano Ladies (tel: 2928-2208, www.Giordanoladies.com). Men can meanwhile find other distractions at Bang & Olufsen.
Hong Kong Computer Shops
The most popular establishments are Wanchai Computer Centre (MTR A4 exit), 298 Computer Zone at 298 Hennessy Road, Wanchai, Windsor House in Causeway Bay (MTR E exit, floors 10-12), Mongkok Computer Centre, and Golden Computer Arcade and Shopping Centre in Sham Shui Po (MTR D2 exit). A Mongkok megastore is Digital Pavilion (Shop 25, Basement 2, Langham Place) where you'll find high-end video mobile phones, speakers, LCD displays and assorted hi-tech gadgetry for home entertainment.
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| Canton Road DFS/ photo: Winnie Choi |
Apple Computer shops have had mixed fortunes in Hongkong but there are some good vendors at Windsor House like the briskly run Designer Group Company Apple Centre (11F, tel: 2504-4122) where staff speak decent English. They also have an outlet in the IFC (Shop 2012, IFC Mall, tel: 2295-4488). If you're around Wanchai, a friendly option for software is Advance Software (Shop 226 2F, Wanchai Computer Centre) run by the personable and helpful Maggie Tse (tel: 2591-5201).
Hong Kong Sunday and Weekend Markets
The Sunday market outside the Gold Coast Hotel in Tuen Mun sells handicrafts and clothing accessories. You can get there on a HK$10 shuttle bus from Tsuen Wan MTR station (B3 exit). Of a weekend you might wish to venture up the hill above Wanchai to the Borrett Road Market (www.borrettroadmarket.com) on the second Sunday of each month (10am to 5pm) for a trawl through home-baked stuff, organic foods, clothes, sculpture, art, and specialist fare. This is an open-air market so keep an eye on the weather. The market has expanded to include a Pokfulam Market on the third Sunday of every month on Hong Kong's quiet residential west coast with an open-air grassy spot at Level 4 CyberPlaza, Cyberport 2.
Last Minute Shopping
Last-minute shopping is always possible at the Airport Express Hong Kong or Kowloon Stations (www.mtr.com.hk). Above Hong Kong station you have the IFC mall (tel: 2295-3308, www.ifc.com.hk), which carries Fancl House, Origins, L’Occitane, CK Jeans, Mango, O.Z.O.C, Links of London, Swarovski, Papyrus... Or shop at the Dickson Warehouse (tel: 2626-0298, www.dicksoncyber.com) at Kowloon Station, where you can get renowned brands at clearance prices.
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| Hong Kong Airport/ photo: Vijay Verghese |
Should you find yourself on Lantau island before your departure, another option is the Citygate Outlets (tel: 2109-2933, www.citygateoutlets.com.hk) in Tung Chung. The five-level mall, attached by a walkway to the Novotel Citygate Hong Kong, is only 10 minutes from the airport by taxi or S1 airport bus. Open from 10am to 10pm, the mall includes a host of discount shops and factory outlets selling Vivienne Tam, Laura Ashley, Esprit, Levis, Le Saunda, Joy & Peace, Follie Follie, Quicksilver, Adidas, Nike, New Balance, Timberland, Columbia, Aji Ichiban, Fortress, OSIM and SaSa. Other choices include one of the first Jill Stuart factory outlets in Hong Kong, an I.T outlet, a Polo Ralph Lauren factory outlet, Lancel, Lanvin, Bally, and Kate Spade .Discounts may range between 30 and 70 percent.
And if you’re still long on conscience and short on time, there’s always Hongkong International Airport’s refurbished SkyMart in the departure area and the new SkyPlaza located in Terminal 2 (www.hongkongairport.com/eng/skymart/index.jsp). Both offer acres of space and browsing before your flight. The SkyMart has a “Downtown Pricing Guarantee” that the price you pay for a product will be the same as for an identical product downtown. The SkyPlaza includes shops like Adidas, Calvin Klein Jeans, Chanel, Mango, Swatch, Coach, Hermes, Ermenegildo Zegna, BVLGARI, and Giordano. Prices are competitive with Singapore and Dubai though electronic items can be a tad high-priced at times. Pick up an Hermes silk tie for HK$1,200, a Zegna tie for HK$1,150 or a BVLGARI Rose Essentielle eu de parfum 50ml for HK$540. Take your pick.
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