9 Best Places to Shop in Eastern, Hong Kong

Run by Hong Kong's foremost arts printer, this space combines an appointment-only exhibition area with a bookshop filled with thousands of rare, collectible art and photography books. It's located under the same roof as the printing presses, in an industrial building.

This Japanese chain, like Milan Station, carries secondhand goods from luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Hermès, Chanel, and Prada. The shop is also a member of the Association Against Counterfeit Product Distribution, a Japanese organization that uses scientific evidence to determine whether items are genuine or knockoffs.

Come evening, this sprawling market in a Hokkien neighborhood gets as busy as the popular Ladies Market in Mong Kok. It specializes in produce from China's Fujian (Hokkien) province that you won't find at many other places in Hong Kong, although you'll also find a few dry goods stalls peddling clothing, bags, and even jewelry. Because it's close to a tram terminus, local trams—"ding dings"—frequently clatter down the center of the market, adding to the bustle and color.

An ice-skating rink and a multiplex theater are two of the reasons Cityplaza is the territory's most popular family mall—so popular, in fact, that it's best to steer clear on weekends, when you have to fight through the crowds. Toys and children's clothing labels are well represented, as are mid-range local and international adult brands. Cityplaza also has branches of Marks & Spencer (the largest in Hong Kong) and Japanese supermarket APiTa. There are also nearly 100 food outlets in the mall where you can get everything from a snack to a fancy meal. 

Every Sunday for most of the year, the Hong Kong Markets Association puts on the Island East Markets in Quarry Bay. The bazaar tends to draw expat crowds, and the prices on gourmet snacks and handmade goods —think jewelry, clothes, shoes, and more—reflect that. Although you probably won't bag a bargain, you will come face-to-face with talented local designers and vendors. Time your visit right and you could catch a live band performing. There's also a handy play area for little ones with a fun calendar of activities.

Classic, good-quality clothing is what this British retailer has built an empire on—its underwear, in particular, is viewed as a national treasure. Although basics are on the staid side, the newer Per Una, Autograph, and Limited collections are decidedly trendier. Marks & Spencer is also one of the few stores in town to stock a full range of sizes, which includes women's shoes up to a U.S. size 10 and men's up to U.S. size 12. There are branches in many of Hong Kong's malls, the biggest of which is in Cityplaza; most have a British specialty food section, too, with a good range of wines.

It's a local institution, a bookstore, and a cat sanctuary, all rolled into one. This longstanding shop in the basement of an unassuming mall has a vast range of mostly Chinese books and foreign-language tomes that span Japanese manga and Nordic thrillers, among which a collection of rescued felines sprawl. While you're free to browse the books, don't touch the cats—the owner is adamant that this isn't a petting zoo. 

Hong Kong has a surprisingly strong outdoor culture given its many hiking trails, and this independent store with a Japanese aesthetic will ensure you're stylishly dressed to tackle them. It's packed with chic camping gear sourced from around the world, and it has a section of vintage clothing, too. 

If you've seen a notable pair of spectacles on a Hong Kong celebrity, chances are they're from this retro shop that's been around for more than 50 years. Woo Ping has a reputation for stocking unusual, statement-making vintage eyewear that often can't be found anywhere else. Prices run affordable, and they do regular prescriptions, too.