Shanghai Shopping

Sights Nightlife Performing Arts

1. Brut Cake

Taiwanese designer Nicole Teng's showroom is welcoming, with comfy oversize chairs (for sale), reclaimed wood, and quirky ceramic pieces on...Read More

Taiwanese designer Nicole Teng's showroom is welcoming, with comfy oversize chairs (for sale), reclaimed wood, and quirky ceramic pieces on every surface. In addition to dinnerware and ceramic lampshades, Brut Cake sells beautiful hand-woven and dyed fabrics.

2. Madame Mao's Dowry

This shop claims its covetable collection of mostly propaganda items from the '50s, '60s, and '70s is sourced from the countryside and areas...Read More

This shop claims its covetable collection of mostly propaganda items from the '50s, '60s, and '70s is sourced from the countryside and areas in Sichuan Province and around Beijing and Tianjin. Whether they're authentic is up for debate. Shelves and racks are filled with women's clothing from local and international designers. Look for beautiful wrapping paper from Paper Tiger and dishtowels, notecards, and T-shirts from Pinyin Press; both are indie, Shanghai-based design companies. Although this could be your one-stop shopping experience, remember this is communism at capitalist prices.

3. Piling Palang

Designers Judy Kim and Bingbing Deng, who hails from Tianjin, founded their line of cheerful ceramics in Paris in 2010. Their Jing'An boutique...Read More

Designers Judy Kim and Bingbing Deng, who hails from Tianjin, founded their line of cheerful ceramics in Paris in 2010. Their Jing'An boutique is packed with bowls, vases, plates, trays, and beautiful cloisonné tiffin carriers in a rainbow of bright colors.

4. Propaganda Poster Art Centre

This small-but-mighty museum, housing a collection of Chinese propaganda posters from 1949 through the 1970s, has an equally impressive pint...Read More

This small-but-mighty museum, housing a collection of Chinese propaganda posters from 1949 through the 1970s, has an equally impressive pint-size shop attached selling original and replica posters, postcards, and more excellent keepsakes for history buffs. Tip: the museum is a little hard to find, tucked away in the basement of a nondescript apartment compound, but on-site guards will point you in the right direction.

5. Spin

Halfway between a gallery and a shop, Spin sells reasonably priced contemporary Chinese pottery handmade in Jingdezhen, China's pottery capital...Read More

Halfway between a gallery and a shop, Spin sells reasonably priced contemporary Chinese pottery handmade in Jingdezhen, China's pottery capital. Treasures include chopstick rests shaped like bone fragments and too-cute dim sum paperweights in a little bamboo steamer. The ceramics sell for a fraction of the price of what they go for in New York City, where they're available at venues like Bergdorf Goodman. Note that this shop was once closer to the city center but moved to the northern Zhabei district in 2018.

6. Subconscious Day Spa

Give your stressed-out body a bit of TLC at this great value spa. The bright, minimalist decor and soothing staff create a calming environment...Read More

Give your stressed-out body a bit of TLC at this great value spa. The bright, minimalist decor and soothing staff create a calming environment in the busy city. Get centered with a signature hot stone massage, or treat yourself to some extra pampering with a manicure or eyelash extensions.

7. Alter

Founded by fashionista Sonja Long Xiao in 2010, this multibrand shop was started as a reaction to the Chinese luxury market's focus on huge...Read More

Founded by fashionista Sonja Long Xiao in 2010, this multibrand shop was started as a reaction to the Chinese luxury market's focus on huge name megabrands. The store carries interesting, arty designer labels from around the world as well as Xiao's own in-house brand Rolling Acid. Even if you don't plan on buying, the layout and design of the store itself is provocative.

8. Banyan Tree Spa On The Bund

The spa in the Banyan Tree Shanghai On The Bund hotel spans three ultraluxe floors and offers treatments reflecting wu xing, the five elemental...Read More

The spa in the Banyan Tree Shanghai On The Bund hotel spans three ultraluxe floors and offers treatments reflecting wu xing, the five elemental energies in Chinese philosophy: earth, metal, water, wood, and fire. Relax and choose from a menu of massages, facials, and body scrubs, or indulge in a package that combines the three.

9. Blue Shanghai White

The eponymous colored ceramics here are designed and hand-painted by the owner and are made in Jingdezhen, once home to China's imperial kilns...Read More

The eponymous colored ceramics here are designed and hand-painted by the owner and are made in Jingdezhen, once home to China's imperial kilns. Some larger pieces are made with wood salvaged from demolition sites around Shanghai.

10. Brocade Country

The English-speaking owner, Liu Xiao Lan, has a Miao mother and a broad knowledge of her pieces. The Miao sew their history into the cloth,...Read More

The English-speaking owner, Liu Xiao Lan, has a Miao mother and a broad knowledge of her pieces. The Miao sew their history into the cloth, and she knows the meaning behind each piece, some of which are collector's items. Antique embroidery can cost an arm and a leg, but smaller embroidery pieces are affordable and easy to slip into a suitcase. Ms. Liu has also started designing more wearable items.

11. Chou Chou Chic

This irresistible French–Chinese children's-wear shop is your go-to when you’re looking to spoil your fashion-focused nieces and nephews. Think...Read More

This irresistible French–Chinese children's-wear shop is your go-to when you’re looking to spoil your fashion-focused nieces and nephews. Think adorable qipaos and unique sweaters adorned with Chinese button knots.

12. Culture Matters

Shanghai’s iconic sneaker brand, Feiyues, can get comparatively pricey when bought internationally, but in Shanghai, where they’re made, you...Read More

Shanghai’s iconic sneaker brand, Feiyues, can get comparatively pricey when bought internationally, but in Shanghai, where they’re made, you can pick up a pair very cheaply. The classic designs are canvas with rubber soles, but there’s a variety of styles on offer, including felt models, rubber sneakers that are good for wet weather, an intricate line decorated with traditional Chinese drawings, and a cute collection for kids.

13. Dong Liang

For one-of-a-kind designs from up-and-coming (and a few well known) Chinese designers, carefully curated multibrand store Dong Liang is a stunning...Read More

For one-of-a-kind designs from up-and-coming (and a few well known) Chinese designers, carefully curated multibrand store Dong Liang is a stunning—albeit pricey—one-stop-shop.

14. Hu & Hu Antiques

Co-owner Marybelle Hu worked at Taipei's National Palace Museum as well as Sotheby's in Los Angeles before opening this shop with her sister...Read More

Co-owner Marybelle Hu worked at Taipei's National Palace Museum as well as Sotheby's in Los Angeles before opening this shop with her sister-in-law Lin in 1998. The bright, airy showroom contains Tibetan chests and other rich furniture as well as a large selection of accessories, from lanterns to mooncake molds. The prices are higher than their competitors', but so is their standard of service.

15. ifc Mall

Like its Hong Kong sister, this shiny mall is packed with luxury goods stores. The basement food court has everything from octopus balls to...Read More

Like its Hong Kong sister, this shiny mall is packed with luxury goods stores. The basement food court has everything from octopus balls to Japanese-style crepes, as well as very expensive imported groceries. The upper levels are dotted with restaurants serving various fare, high in quality and in price. The Lujiazui station of metro Line 2 is inside the mall.

16. Shanghai Foreign Language Bookstore

You could while away an hour or two in this massive bookstore, which has a huge selection of English-language books for children and adults...Read More

You could while away an hour or two in this massive bookstore, which has a huge selection of English-language books for children and adults. The downside here is that there's so much, it's not always organized well, and few of the clerks speak English. Still, wander the floors, and you'll find new and back issues of magazines ranging from Vogue to National Geographic, and shelf upon shelf of novels and nonfiction books. Prices are higher than what you'd pay in the States but not terribly so.

17. Shanghai Museum Shop

This selection of books on China and Chinese culture is impressive, and there are also some interesting children's books. Expensive reproduction...Read More

This selection of books on China and Chinese culture is impressive, and there are also some interesting children's books. Expensive reproduction ceramics are available, as are more affordable gifts like magnets, scarves, and notebooks.

18. Shanghai Tang

...Read More

19. Shanghai Tang

This is one of China's leading fashion brands, with distinctive acid-bright silks, soft-as-a-baby's-bottom cashmere, and funky housewares. Sigh...Read More

This is one of China's leading fashion brands, with distinctive acid-bright silks, soft-as-a-baby's-bottom cashmere, and funky housewares. Sigh at the beautiful fabrics and designs, and gasp at the inflated prices.

20. Super Brand Mall

One of Asia's largest malls, this 10-story behemoth has a mind-boggling array of international shops and food stops, as well as a cineplex....Read More

One of Asia's largest malls, this 10-story behemoth has a mind-boggling array of international shops and food stops, as well as a cineplex. It can be overwhelming if you don't love to shop.