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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.
More salon than store, powdered elderly ladies who lunch and casually dressed tourists all come here for the same thing: quality pearls, fine jewelry, and excellent service. In addition to classic styles, K.S. Sze works closely with clients on custom orders.
Hip utilitarian bags, soft fabrics, minimalist watches, comfy kicks, music, stationery—kapok is a one-stop shop for lifestyle products and accessories from independent brands. Meanwhile, the boutique's café serves up steamy French coffee that you're welcome to sip while browsing. If you're lucky, you'll catch one of the store's many exhibitions and pop-up collaborations.
It feels like a Brutalist museum, but this beautiful space is actually a commercial contemporary art gallery. Founders Edouard Malingue and Lorraine Kiang Malingue represent both established and emerging international artists across different disciplines, from video to sound and painting. Even if you're not looking to buy anything, the on-site exhibitions and talks are worth a visit.
When considering jewelry stores, longevity is a good thing. King Fook has been around since 1949, promising stringent quality control, quality craftsmanship, and professional service. Masterpiece by King Fook, the higher-end King Fook line, sells first-grade diamonds and precious jewelry. There are also shops at Pacific Place in Admiralty and The One on Nathan Road.
Socialite and interior designer Louise Kou's showroom is a moody mix of dark jewel tones and silver. Book an appointment and follow her through the different rooms, showcasing chinaware, silverware, furniture, art, and unique household items. When Kou can't find what she desires somewhere in the world, she simply has it custom made.
If you like shoes made the old-fashioned way, then Kow Hoo—one of Hong Kong's oldest, circa 1946—is for you. It also does great cowboy boots (there's nothing like knee-high calfskin!). Just be sure to make an appointment before you go.
Enhance your wok cooking by picking up a bottle of soy sauce made the traditional way—brewed for months in ceramic vats under the hot Hong Kong sun. The owner speaks English and can guide you through the shop’s other artisanal food products, which include fermented bean paste and pickled tofu, all made locally without using industrial processes.
Stocking alternative-spirited books, graphic novels, magazines, and music in a variety of foreign languages, Kubrick is the closest thing to a bilingual community bookshop you're likely to find in Hong Kong. Coming here will give you a good, if slightly unpolished, sense of the city's contemporary culture. As an added bonus, the store is attached to a cinema that regularly shows art-house flicks and a casual café that occasionally hosts poetry readings or music gigs. When seeking directions, ask for the Broadway Cinemateque.
Renowned for its crocodile bags and shoes, Kwanpen got its start in 1938, when master craftsman Kwan Pen Song became the go-to handbag designer among British aristocrats in Hong Kong. Over the years, Kwan’s sons grew the business into a global force, running two stand-alone shops in Pacific Place and Elements malls, as well as several international boutiques in countries like Japan, Qatar, and the UK.
Pacific Place may have put Admiralty on the map, but Lab Concept has breathed new life into the otherwise uneventful neighborhood. This 64,000-square-foot "fashion playground"—from the same masterminds behind Joyce and Lane Crawford—comprises a network of shops in the formerly forgettable Queensway Plaza and is fast becoming a major shopping destination. The white, contemporary space introduces some playful touches you won't find elsewhere, such as blow-dry bars, nail stations, and vending machines selling Jurlique skin-care products. Expect young and edgy brands, including American Apparel, Cheap Monday, Free People, and MO&Co. Beloved beauty brands populate the Facesss department, but the highlight is the mix of must-have boots, heels (even for bigfoot Americans), and accessories at Shoespace.
Block upon block of tightly packed stalls overflow with clothes, bags, and knickknacks along Tung Choi Street in Mong Kok. Despite the name, items for women, men, and children are for sale. Most offerings are imitations or no-name brands; rifle around enough and you can often pick up some cheap, cheerful basics. Haggling is the rule here: a poker face and a little insistence can get you dramatic discounts. At the corner of each block and behind the market are stands and shops selling the street snacks Hong Kongers can't live without. Pick a place where locals are munching and point at whatever takes your fancy. Parallel Fa Yuen Street is Mong Kok's unofficial sportswear market.
Laura Cheung’s grandfather spent a lifetime hand-carving rosewood tables, and her father helmed a wildly successful ceramic manufacturing company, so it’s only natural that she carry on the tradition with Lala Curio, an eclectic home-ware store in the heart of Wan Chai. Cheung’s collections tip a hat to ancient Chinese craftsmanship, albeit with a whimsical modern spin; offerings range from pretty lacquer boxes to mosaic-tiled trays and bespoke upholstery.
Central's most prestigious shopping site is home to a bevy of big-name upscale fashion brands. Even if your credit-card limit isn't up to a spree here, swanky Café Landmark is a great place to watch moneyed fashionistas on a retail therapy kick. A pedestrian bridge links the mall with shopping arcades in Landmark Prince's, Landmark Alexandra, Landmark Chater, and the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.
Hong Kong's most prestigious department store started out as a makeshift provisions shop back in 1850. This branch in the IFC Mall is one of Hong Kong's four Lane Crawford locations, divided up into small gallery-like spaces for different luxury brands and designers. In addition to fashion, the store stocks everything from beauty to homewares.
The light beige sandstone of Langham Place stands in stark contrast to the pulsating neon signs and crumbling residential blocks around it. Yet the mall—with nearly 200 shops packed into 15 floors—has fast become a fixture on Mong Kok's chaotic shopping scene. It is especially popular with youngsters, who are drawn by the Asian labels in offbeat boutiques ranged around a spiral walkway from the 9th to 12th floors. Extra-long escalators—dubbed \"Xpresscalators\"—whisk you quickly up four levels at a time. The elegant glass-and-steel skyscraper across the road is the Langham Place Hotel; its stylish dining patio, The Backyard, offers the serenest of outdoor sanctuaries in one of the region's most congested neighborhoods.
Established in 1967, Larry Jewelry is known for handcrafted pieces made from high-grade precious stones. There is a second store in Causeway Bay.
This spacious store combines local and international fashion, beauty products, and dining under one roof. Youthful clothing brands like American Eagle, Vans, Fred Perry, Havaianas, and Initial all have their own areas here, as do Lush, and other cosmetics lines. LCX also has a handful of restaurants, including Gyu-Kaku Japanese and Pizza Maru.
Friendly service and a decent selection of Chinese and western-style dinnerware make this a good one-stop shop. It also carries vases and antique reproductions.
These two adjacent malls are a firm favorite with local celebrities. They come as much for the mall's low-key atmosphere—a world away from the bustle of Central—as for the clothes. And with so many big names under one small roof—Dior, Louis Vuitton, and Hermès, to name but a few—who can blame them? The second floor of Lee Gardens Two is taken up with designer kiddie wear. The two buildings, one on either side of Hysan Avenue, are linked by a second-floor footbridge.
This hole-in-the-wall shop has a surprisingly long history: it dates back to the early 1920s in Guangzhou, where the brand got its start before moving to Hong Kong. Lee Kung Man uses 1950's-era machines to make simple cotton tees and tanks, but the underwear is what brings shoppers flocking in. Despite a loyal hipster following, the store has kept prices relatively affordable, running between about HK$90 and HK$350 per top. Look for the signature cicada logo or the prancing deer at one of the four shops around town.
This is one of those unique places that make you want to buy something even if there's nothing you need. Lianca, first and foremost a manufacturer, sells well-made leather bags, wallets, frames, key chains, and home accessories in timeless, simple designs. It's an unbranded way to be stylish.
The Chan Brothers have an illustrious history in Hong Kong and have certainly left a trail of satisfied customers in their wake; however, reviews these days speak of hit-and-miss experiences at this bespoke shoe boutique. Prices have also shot up over the last few years (from around HK$1,500 for sandals and HK$2,300 for high heels). Still, when they are good, they are very, very good.
In operation since 1965, this old-fashioned tailor makes cheongsam, the elegant, form-fitting Chinese dresses known for their high collars and side slits. Prices are affordable but vary according to fabric, which ranges from basics to special brocades and beautifully embroidered silks.
Stocking a hand-picked selection of antiquarian tomes, this cozy bookshop is the place to browse for centuries-old first editions on subjects as diverse as wine, food, history, and sport. Lok Man Rare Books relocated in 2023 to the stunning Pedder Arcade, the renovated fifth floor of the Art Deco Pedder Building.
A fixture on the Hong Kong fashion scene for decades, Lu Lu Cheung creates designs that exude comfort and warmth. In both daytime and evening wear, natural fabrics and forms are represented in practical yet imaginative ways.
Savor views of Victoria Harbour from the 24th floor while you tame your tresses at the Mandarin Beauty Salon. No-nonsense Betty employs hair-removal techniques that are whispered about in the best of circles, and Samuel So has perfected his famous Shanghainese pedicure over the past 20 years. On the second floor in the Mandarin's 1930s Shanghai–inspired barber shop, your man can enjoy his own grooming, complete with in-mirror TVs and VIP rooms.
Established by London-born antiques dealer Susan Man, this spot in the Wong Chuk Hang industrial district stocks 20th-century decorative arts, European antiques, and Scandinavian furniture.
Found throughout the city, this chain sells everything from shampoo and lotions to emery boards and cough medicine (western and Chinese brands). Some stores have pharmacies.
A name frequently passed on by expert Hong Kong shoppers, Margaret Wong's tailoring services run from women's daywear to gowns to Chinese cheongsam. Prices tend to be midrange.
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.
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