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
  • chain-stores - there are a few telecom chain stores that sell cell phones and cellular service mainly to those living in Hong Kong but with pay-as-you-go plans available, in addition to stores that sell consumer electronics. Also see the page on mobile phones
  • Ap Liu Street - in Sham Shui Po area, accessible by MTR. There's even a store selling nothing but replacement batteries. You can even find second-hand stores there. (But it may not be a good place to shop for cell phones if your middle name is "Gullable".) more about Apliu Street

• +- Children clothing
  • Ocean Terminal, TST - there's a concentration of children clothing stores in Ocean Terminal around 'Toys R Us'. Accessible by MTR.

• +- Clothing
  • "Ladies' Market / Women Street" - Tung Choi Street, Mongkok. Accessible via MTR. more about Ladies Market

  • Granville Road - located in Tsim Sha Tsui, there are many stores selling inexpensive slightly flawed or outlet clothing there - look closely before you leap to the cashier!

  • Stanley Market - located on the southern shore of Hong Kong Island, not too convenient, but has clothing catering to tourists, especially in terms of size. more about Stanley Market

  • Wanchai - there are a few stores on Johnston Road right across from the MTR station that sell what seem to be outlet goods. more about Johnston Rd

  • malls - if you like designer labels & name brands, malls and shopping centers in Tsim Sha Tsui, Central, Causeway Bay, and Admiralty districts, plus department stores will be the places to go. And then there's the Citygate Outlets shopping center in Tung Chung.
    

• +- Designer labels & luxury/name brands
  • Central district - accessible by MTR. Get off at the Central station on the Hong Kong island line.

  • Canton Road - located in Tsim Sha Tsui (TST), accessible by MTR.

  • Yun Ping Road - located in Causeway Bay, accessible by MTR.

• +- 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
  • Sai Yeung Choi Street South - in Mongkok, accessible by MTR.
  • Ap Liu Street - in Sham Shui Po, accessible by MTR. I would suggest that you first check out the prices at the electronic products chain stores where they clearly list the prices. more about Ap Liu St.

• +- Electronics parts - transistors, resistors, DIY electronic kits & circuits, wires and cords of all kinds
  • Ap Liu Street - in Sham Shui Po, accessible by MTR. more about Ap Liu St.

• +- 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.

  more about pet stores in Hong Kong
• +- 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. +-

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.