9 Best Places to Shop in Hong Kong, China

Visit this long-established mainland company to blitz through that tiresome list of presents in one fell swoop. It stocks a huge variety of well-priced clothing, porcelain, and giftware. In direct contrast to the thrill of digging through dusty piles at the open-air Jade Market, Chinese Arts & Crafts provides a clean, air-conditioned environment in which to shop for classic jade jewelry—and the prices aren't too outrageous. Other affordable, easily packable items include appliqué tablecloths and cushion covers or silk dressing gowns. There are four branches in Hong Kong, including this spacious shop in Pacific Place.

This popular purveyor of Chinese goods has 12 stores across Hong Kong, and the flagship one features seven floors laden with everything from clothing and housewares to traditional medicine. The logic behind its layout is hard to fathom, so go with time to rifle around. As well as the predictable tablecloths, silk pajamas, and chopsticks, there are cheap and colorful porcelain sets and offbeat local favorites like mini-massage chairs. The fifth floor has a selection of tea—you can pick up a HK$50 packet of leaves or an antique Yixing teapot stretching into the thousands.

When this legendary British retailer announced its Hong Kong opening, locals were skeptical, saying nothing would ever live up to the original London store. But Harvey Nicks quickly had them eating their (Philip Treacy) hats with the sheer volume of hypercool labels the store stocks. The menswear section has been a particularly big hit with local celebs, while local tai-tais (ladies who lunch) have declared the fourth-floor restaurant the place for mid-shopping-spree coffee breaks. The flagship store covers 83,000 glorious square feet; and there is a second sprawling location in Admiralty's Pacific Place.

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.

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. 

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.

Those familiar with this Japanese brand are often delighted to find one of its stores, and Hong Kong now has more than a dozen branches. The full name is Mujirishi Ryohin (meaning "no-brand quality goods"), which only partly describes the sleek minimalism of everything from household items and stationery to clothing and simply packaged snacks.

A lynchpin of the Causeway Bay shopping scene, Japanese brand Sogo's main branch has 16 floors of clothing, housewares, and personal-care items. The selection of street wear, makeup, and accessories is particularly strong, with a dazzling variety of Asian and international labels represented. A vast basement-level grocery store keeps the Japanese expat community happily fed.

Opened in 1907, this old-style Hong Kong department store in Sheung Wan made its name with cheap deals on household appliances, kitchenware, and crockery. Of chief interest to overseas visitors are the local cosmetics, porcelain tea sets, and snacks.