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Hong Kong Shopping guide

where, what & when


Shopping for shoes? There're shops everywhere.

Shopping for shoes? There're shops everywhere.


1881 Heritage, a small but nice shopping center and hotel complex in Tsim Sha Tsui.
1881 Heritage, a small shopping center refurbished from historical building
There is plenty of street-side shopping since Hong Kong is a very integrated city. Chances are, you will be staying in a tourist area where there are shops everywhere. Tsim Sha Tsui and Causeway Bay are two popular tourist areas where many hotels are.

In fact in Hong Kong, you don't have to go shopping in order to shop. If you have walked on Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Tsui area, you know what I mean. "Copy watch? Hand bag?" you would be asked on the street by people holding a stack of photos of Rolex-look-alikes. If you have a suitcase in tow there, the product offered is tailored to your apparent need. But don't get me wrong, Tsim Sha Tsui is not an area to avoid. Just enjoy the attention and ignore the sales pitch if you don't need the product!

In addition to the shops along the streets, there're also many conveniently located shopping centers and malls easily accessible via the nice subway system (MTR).

Where

There're malls and shopping centers just about everywhere, but a high concentration can be found in Tsim Sha Tsui and Causeway Bay. And then Stanley Market is a one-stop place to shop for souvenirs. See the districts section below for a summary of each.

When

Other than grocery shopping and the like, many malls, shopping centers & stores don't open till 11 am. Malls close at 9 pm or later.

As for sales, there're the end of season sales, and the holiday sales. One to note would be the pre-Chinese New Year sale. It is said that one can expect more discounts because owners want cash to pay their employees the year-end bonuses.

What

Here're some places to find what you're shopping for:
  • +- Antiques
    • Cat Street - that's not a pet street, nor can you find feline cuisines there. Actually located on Upper Lascar Row, it's an antiques market with much more old stuff than your grandma's attic. Chairman Mao's badges, old Chinese locks (some posing as such), vases, photos, you name it, they have it in one of the piles.

    • Hollywood Road - there are plenty of stores selling antiques there. From spectacles to furniture, you can find them there. But don't expect bargains!
  • +- Aquariums & supplies
    • Goldfish Street - Looking for a gift for your goldfish that you left behind guarding your house? "Goldfish street" in Mongkok/Prince Edward area is your best bet. Tanks, rocks, pumps, fish food, turtles, little divers with old-style metal diving helmet, you name it, they have it. If they don't, probably no need to go elsewhere.
  • +- Mobile phones/smart phones
  • +- Children clothing
    • Ocean Terminal, TST - there's a concentration of children clothing stores in Ocean Terminal around 'Toys R Us'. Accessible by MTR.
  • +- Clothing
  • +- Designer labels & luxury/name brands
  • +- Computers & supplies
    • Golden Shopping Arcade - in Sham Shui Po; books, computer supplies, video games and machines in basement and upper ground floor, then the 1st floor has all the computer hardware stores (it seems you must enter this through the outside stairs around the corner). It is just next to the Sham Shui Po MTR station. But beware that the hallways are so crowded with people and the storekeepers' goods that it is downright dangerous in case of any emergency.

    • Winsor House - in Causeway Bay; close to the Causeway Bay MTR station. It is one of the most pleasant computer centers to look around in with two floors of shops. Unfortunately, at the time of writing, many computer shops seem to have moved elsewhere.

    • 298 Computer Shopping Center - 298 Hennessy Road, Wanchai; between the Wanchai & Causeway Bay MTR stations. Probably easiest to get to by taking a tram going east towards Wanchai from Causeway Bay MTR. It is on the south side of the street close to Heard Street.

    • Mongkok Computer Center - Mongkok, close to intersection of Nelson St and Tung Choi Street. Close to the Bank Center exit of the Mongkok MTR station. Beware: though smoking is banned in shopping centers, there is still cigarette smoke here.

    • Wanchai Computer Center - located next to the Wanchai MTR, it has two floors of shops. It could get a bit crowded though.

    • Star House - next to the Star Ferry Pier in TST in Kowloon. Unfortunately, the number of stores is down to very few and it's no longer even called a computer shopping center. (2012.3)

    • chain-stores - there are a few chain stores that sell computers and electronic products. Good to check their prices first.

  • +- Consumer electronics - cameras, cell phones, smart phones, mp3 players, video game consoles
  • +- Electronics parts - transistors, resistors, DIY electronic kits & circuits, wires and cords of all kinds
  • +- Furniture
    • Hollywood Road - located in Central, this street is known for antique and cool furniture.
    • Wong Nai Chung Road - located in Happy Valley next to the horse race track, there are many designer furniture stores.
    • Queen's Road East in Wanchai - there're a number of furniture shops along the stretch between Spring Garden Lane to Hennessy Road near Hopewell center, in which the revolving restaurant is located. If moving to Hong Kong is on your agenda, the strip may be a good place to check out.
  • +- Pets & pet supplies
    • Cannon Street - Cannon Street in Causeway Bay is the place to go on Hong Kong Island if you want to get a gift for your pet. You'll find pet stores cum pet supplies shops, and even a pet clinic, which I assume 'equipped' with veterinarians to do whatever necessary. Hmm... do they have sweet-and-sour flavored bones?

    • Victory Avenue - on Kowloon side the place to go for pet supplies is Victory Avenue in Ho Man Tin (near Mongkok). In fact there're more of them there than Cannon Street - probably because the rising rent in Causeway Bay had driven out many of them.

    • "Goldfish Street" - if you want a cute little ceramic Chinese pavilion for your goldfish or turtle, the Goldfish Street, aka Goldfish Market, is the place to be. It's accessible from either Mongkok MTR station or Prince Edward MTR station.
  • +- Souvenirs
    • Stanley Market - pretty much a one-stop souvenir place. It's not as convenient as other places to get to but it's accessible by buses and taxies. And near the market is the seaside and the beach, plus restaurants with side-walk dining. Stanley is a nice area to spend a good part of a day.

    • Tsim Sha Tsui (TST) - since TST is a tourist area, there are some stores that sell nothing but souvenirs. It's easily accessible by MTR subway.

How

How you want to spend your money is certainly none of our business, but if you don't like to be scammed, check out our cautions & precautions page especially if you're shopping for cameras and Chinese herbs. +-

Bait and switch tactics like "Oh sorry, we found out that model is sold out. Let's recommend this other model!" which of course is far from being such a good deal like the first 'sold-out' one. But since you've already paid, and have a plane to catch, you are the lamb to the slaughter. Even calling the police doesn't help.

Then at the Chinese herbal shop, there's the ambiguous price tag trick. By the time you realize the price is for the ounce rather than the pound (or the equivalent in Chinese weighing system), "Oh sorry, the ginseng has been cut already. You HAVE to buy it!"

More on our cautions & precautions page.

Why

Since I've covered every other aspect of shopping in Hong Kong, might as well cover this too! Why shop in HK?
  1. That's what you do when you travel: get stuff for those who aren't with you - especially those who are house-sitting for you, fish and snake-sitting for you, milking your cows, keeping your clients happy for you (and not poaching them), doing your homework for ... okay, maybe not.
  2. Get the hat or whatever to remind you how wonderful a trip you had - even though you'll never wear it.
  3. "Because it's so cute!"
  4. Because you are a hoarder in denial.

Price Comparison

In terms of prices, chain stores are likely to charge the same in all their branches - at least the list prices. But for other stores in the major shopping areas, you would more likely find better prices in Mongkok than Central or Causeway Bay. And among the computer centers, the Golden computer shopping complex in Sham Shui Po probably has lower prices.

In terms of tourist souvenirs in tourist areas like Ladies' Market, TST, Stanley Market, you can count on the prices marked up. Feel free to bargain with them. They have a calculator on hand to do that with you! Stanley Market has the widest variety and more souvenir stores than the other areas.

      Districts top

Tsim Sha Tsui side street
A side street in Tsim Sha Tsui
Tsim Sha Tsui - you can just call it TST if you can't quite figure out how to pronounce it. It is the area at the southern tip of Kowloon.

Some shopping hot spots include Harbor City mall, iSquare mall, K11 shopping center, Silvercord shopping center, The One shopping center, Ocean Terminal, Nathan Road, and Park Lane. Yes, you get the idea: basically all of Tsim Sha Tsui is one big shopping zone!

If you're looking for designer labels and luxury brands, other than the malls there, Canton Road has a high concentration of them around the Harbor City shopping center.

BEWARE Many of the electronics stores in TST put a code instead of the price tag on their products which only they can interpret. Then when you come along, they price the item according to your facial expression, accent, and size of your wallet. Beware that many tourists have thought they were getting bargains only to regret it afterwards. Even calling the police won't help. Often times such stores have flashing neon lights of electronics brand names rather than that of their own store. But then of course, other kinds of stores are also there where the prices are marked and somewhat reasonable. Our advice: go to a chain store. more about TST


Causeway Bay always has plenty of pedestrians.
Causeway Bay - for locals living on Hong Kong Island, this is pretty much the "grand central station" when it comes to shopping.

Most of the action is concentrated around the MTR station - which has exits going as far as the Times Square. The pedestrain crossing on Yee Wo Street in front of Sogo Department store is often so crowded that the traffic light is not long enough for all to finish crossing the road.

With the shortage of street-level shop space, a lot of restaurants have moved upstairs. There are buildings with multiple restaurants on various floors. more about Causeway Bay


Mongkok, one of the neon hot spots
Mongkok - known as the most densely populated area in Hong Kong, it is also one of the most popular shopping areas for locals in Kowloon. The intersection of Nathan Road and Argyle Street is sort of the center of all the action, though things change with times as new shops and malls open.

Mongkok Computer Center, Ladies' Market, Sai Yeung Choi Street (with many consumer electronics stores), Nathan Road, and Langham Place (mall and hotel) are some of the hot spots in the area. Meanwhile the goldfish market is the place to pick out some fins. more about Mongkok

 


Stanley Market, one-stop souvenir shopping
Stanley - located in the southeast corner of Hong Kong Island, Stanley is away from the more populated parts of Hong Kong. The Stanley Market has become one of the must-go's for tourists. It is the location with the most concentrated souvenir shops. There are also some places to stroll around in the area, a good place to spend an afternoon and have a seaside dinner. more about Stanley

   Shopping Malls top






Times Square shopping mall, Causeway Bay, HK Island.

Times Square mall, Causeway Bay, HK Island.






Harbor City mall, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. As you can see, it's surrounded by name brand stores.

Harbor City mall, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon.


1881 Heritage, a small but nice shopping center and hotel complex in Tsim Sha Tsui.

1881 Heritage, a small shopping center & hotel complex, Tsim Sha Tsui.


Cityplaza, a major mall in Tai Koo area, east Hong Kong Island.

Cityplaza mall in Tai Koo area, Hong Kong Island.











Pacific Place shopping mall, Admiralty, HK Island.

Pacific Place mall, Admiralty, HK Island.

Hollywood Plaza
Hollywood Plaza

Plaza Hollywood

Shatin New Town Plaza
New Town Plaza shopping mall, Shatin.

New Town Plaza mall


Citygate Outlets mall, Lantau Island.

Citygate Outlets

There are many malls where you can find a variety of goods. Convenient ones include :

  • Times Square - a mall linked to the Causeway Bay MTR station on Hong Kong Island, complete with a cinema.

  • iSquare - a mall linked to the Tsim Sha Tsui MTR Station on the red Kowloon line. It opened at the end of 2009.

  • Elements - a mall linked to the Kowloon MTR Station on the Tung Chung line.

  • Harbor City - a shopping mall in TST on Canton Road close to the Tsim Sha Tsui MTR station in Kowloon. It is a mall with some 700 stores, among which are a cinema, a food court, a supermarket, and a cruise liner terminal, Ocean Terminal. In some parts of it, the lack of high ceilings makes it feel more crowded.

  • 1881 Heritage - although not a mall per se, but a nice little shopping center cum historical site worth seeing in TST, Kowloon, across from Harbor City and near the Star Ferry.

  • Cityplaza - A nice mall with an ice-skating rink and cinema on Hong Kong Island, linked to the Taikoo MTR station. more about Cityplaza

  • Festival Walk - a shopping mall linked to the Kowloon Tong MTR station in Kowloon, complete with ice-skating rink, movie theatres, food court, and a supermarket.

  • Pacific Place - a mall on Hong Kong Island, linked to the Admiralty station of the MTR, complete with a cinema.

  • Langham Place - a mall in Mongkok, Kowloon, linked to the Mong Kok station of the MTR, complete with a cinema.

  • The One - a shopping center in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. Has fine dining restaurants with a nice view.

  • Telford Plaza - a shopping center in Kowloon, linked to the Kowloon Bay MTR station on the green line. Phase 1 of it has two floors while phase 2 has a few floors. The latter has more restaurants. There's also a cinema, a supermarket, and a small bus terminal. The taxi stand on the ground floor below phase 2 is where you can catch the shuttle bus to get to Mega Box, another mall nearby. The pedestrian-only podium garden with a water fountain gives the mall nice breathing space.

  • apm - a good-size mall by HK standard linked to the Kwun Tong MTR station in Kowloon. It has a nicely done food court. more about apm

  • MegaBox - a mall in Kowloon Bay accessible by a shuttle bus from Telford Plaza at the Kowloon Bay MTR Station on the green Kowloon line.

  • Grand Century Place - a mall linked to the MTR Mongkok East Station in Kowloon, complete with a cinema. Count on it being crowded - after all, it is in Mongkok!

  • Lok Fu - a shopping center with local clientiel; linked to the Lok Fu MTR station in Kowloon.

  • Plaza Hollywood - a mall linked to the Diamond Hill MTR station in Kowloon.

  • New Town Plaza - a good-size shopping mall linked to the Shatin MTR Station in the New Territories. It's also connected to some other shopping centers. The Snoopy house is part of it. But beware, the mall is quite crowded.

  • Citygate Outlets - a small mall on Lantau Island near the Hong Kong airport - not very convenient since it's a ways from the main parts of HK, but since it's linked to the MTR station in Tung Chung, it's not as bad.

   Department Stores top

  • +- AEON (Chain)
    A chain specializing in products from Japan, formerly known as Jusco.
  • +- Chinese Arts & Craft (Chain)
    A chain specializing in products from China.
  • +- Lane Crawford (Chain)
    Started in 1850 by two Scots, it became the first department store in HK.
  • +- Marks & Spenser (Chain)
    A chain from UK.
  • +- Seibu
    A store specializing in products from Japan.
  • Sincere (Chain)
  • +- Sogo
    A chain specializing in products from Japan.
  • +- UNIQLO (Chain)
    A chain specializing in products from Japan.
  • Wing On (Chain)

Hong Kong shopping map


(updated 2011.7.8)

rolling water bowl Cityplaza is one place that I like. It is not overly crowded. It has some interesting water fountains sculptures - like the one shown to the right here: the big spherical pot in the middle fills up with water gradually and then rolls to empty it. Down the hill from this mall is the Kornhill Shopping Center with a big Japanese department store (complete with a supermarket).
Cityplaza also has an ice-skating rink. FOR KIDS
more details on Cityplaza

Festival Walk is a big mall by Hong Kong standard. Among other things it has a big bookstore with plenty of English titles, a large ice-skating rink (in the mall, not in the bookstore!), a cinema, and many restaurants. more about Festival Walk



2012.1


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