It is said that Hong Kong offers the best shopping in the world. There is no sales tax and if you know where to shop you can find some really great bargains.
Almost everything you need to buy is available in Hong Kong, but shopping can sometimes be a frustrating business if you need to buy specific items in a hurry and don't know where to find them.
In the U.S. or the U.K. you find massive stores that sell everything, whereas Hong Kong is a city of small shopkeepers and to furnish a home you will need to buy from dozens of small stores.
The cityQuicker shopping guide is divided into many categories and gives recommendations for most things that you might need to buy.
You will often find shops of a certain type nearby one another, offering the chance to find the best selection of goods and survey the prices in a short time. For instance:
Queens Road East has shops selling furniture;
Lockhart Road is a handyman's dream with dozens of stores selling such items as bathrooms fittings and tiles.
Wanchai Road stores sell lighting fixtures
Hollywood Road has literally hundreds of antique stores
Queens Road Central shops sell a dazzling array of solid gold ornaments and expensive watches.
Opening hours differ depending on the area. The following are a rough guide only:
Causeway Bay - 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily
Central - 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 6 days a week
Tsim Sha Tsui - 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily
Mongkok - 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily
Shops in Hong Kong get very busy at the weekends and after midday, so if you do not like crowds, try to shop early. As shop hours are so variable, we recommend that you telephone and check opening hours in advance.
Check prices carefully. Some shopping areas have expensive rents and their products may be more expensive than shops in less expensive locations. Mongkok is one of the cheaper places to buy electrical goods, but it's about 30 minutes from Central by MTR and you may prefer to save the time, pay more money and shop in the air-conditioned comfort of the smart downtown shopping malls.
Wherever you decide to shop, the best prices are usually offered to those who pay cash.
If you are shopping for jewellery, cameras, custom-made goods or electrical items, try to avoid shopping in tourist areas, particularly Tsim Sha Tsui, where you can generally expect prices to be higher and service and quality poorer. Tsim Sha Tsui shops generally sell to well-heeled tourists who consider the prices cheap and usually do not even ask for a discount. Tsim Sha Tsui shopkeepers are not necessarily concerned about possible repeat business or client dissatisfaction preferring to make a quick kill! Unless you have a recommendation to a particular store in Tsim Sha Tsui, it is best to shop elsewhere.
Note: Monetary units are expressed in Hong Kong dollars unless otherwise noted. |
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