Don’t let a tight appointment schedule stand in the way of some good old retail therapy, says shopping guru Ellen McNally
Travelling to Hongkong for business can be both fruitful and frustrating. The opportunity to visit one of the great shopping capitals of the world can be disappointing if you can’t take advantage of its retail pleasures .
But don’t panic. If your appointments bring you to Central,you’re in luck.This district is,by far, the city’s most diverse and interesting shopping neighbourhood.In a relatively small geographic area, one finds the most luxurious designer brands, loads of outlets carrying factory overruns, Chinese antiques and Persian rugs,art galleries,unique jewellery and much more. (Which makes squeezing in between appointments some retail therapy that much easier.) Here’s a quick checklist of top buys.
Tailored suit
Going to the tailor is an authentic Hongkong experience.You don’t need to be a company president to possess your own bespoke suit. There are excellent and reasonably priced ones in every part of the city. If you’ve little time to spare, these artisans turn around a piece in three days.At best, they can run it up in a day, but it’s not recommended.Consider these two establishments:
Lord’s Tailor, Pedder Building, 1/F, across from the Landmark shopping centre, tel 852 3103 3238
Tony Wong, 2/F, Fleet Arcade, Lung King St, Fenwick Pier, tel 852 2511 2312
Digital equipment
Hongkong imposes no government duty and no sales tax, which makes the cost of digital products very attractive for the customer.Two local chain stores are famous for being reputable and wildly competitive:Fortress and Broadway. There are also a couple of smaller stores in Central that offer excellent service and claim to match the big chains’ prices. If you have time to compare, and it’s wise to do so,visit the stores below to see if you can bring home the latest electronic toy.
Fortress, Basement, Melbourne Plaza, Central, tel 852 2121 1077
William Photo (3/F) and Union Laser (2/F), Prince’s Building, Central, tel 852 2522 8437 and 852 2521 6266
A&A Audio and Universal, both on Level 1, Pacific Place, Queensway, tel 852 2845 3670 and 852 2801 6422
Discounted designer watch
Hongkong Chinese buy choice timepieces,not to collect them,but make them part of their luxurious lifestyle.Most of the famous jewellers in Central carry the best and most expensive luxury watches.However,Carlson bucks the trend,offering them at nice prices.
Carlson, 29 Queen’s Road, Central, tel 852 2525 5478
Cuban cigars
The city’s cigar stores carry some of the rarest Cuban cigars in the world.They may be pricey but it’s cheaper to buy them here than in the UK. And you’re not required to purchase the entire limited collection,you can simply buy a few cigars to celebrate a special occasion.Should you come from the US where anything Cuban is banned,there is always Davidoff’s whose wares are made in the Dominican Republic. Cigair, St Georges Building, Ice House Street, Central is the best place to buy rare Cuban cigars by the stick, tel 852 2810 1883.
Red Chamber, The Pedder Building, M1, Central, Pedder, tel 852 2537 0977
Davidoff, The Landmark shopping centre, Central, tel 852 2525 5428
C & P Trading Company, 2-18 D’Aguilar St, Yip Fung Bldg, 3/F (You can purchase at wholesale prices!), tel 852 9427 8132
Home furnishings
A unique decoration for the home will remind you of your travels.A number of shops in Central offer tasteful chinoiseries and Asian inspired pieces.Chun San Trading,which we list, only sells Chinese embroidered linen.The shop is tiny shop but is great in pricing.
The Melting Pot, Basement, Asia Standard Tower, corner of Queen’s Road Central and Pottinger Street. (Entrance on Pottinger Street), tel 852 2525 3192
Cocoon, The Pedder Bldg, Pedder Street, 6/F, Central, tel 852 2530 9884
Jackson Law Suite, The Galleria, 9 Queen’s Road Central, tel 852 2530 2132
Chun San Trading, 3-4 Glenealy, Central, tel 852 2522 9246
Chinese traditional fashion (with a twist)
There was a time when business travellers, particularly women,bought the obligatory traditional Chinese outfit,brought it home and never wore it again. This need no longer be the case. The traditional look has evolved into a classy international style with new fabrics and afit more sutable to the western physique. The best shops are all in Central. The Joyluck Boutique and Phoenix Magnolia cater to women exclusively while the others we mention serve both sexes.
Shanghai Tang, 12 Pedder Street, across from the Landmark, tel 852 2525 7333
Kenki, 24 Pottinger Street, below Queen’s Road Central, tel 852 2523 9993
Joyluck Boutique, 23 D’Aguilar Street, 3/F, Central, tel 852 2186 6586
Phoenix Magnolia, 16 D’Aguilar Street, just below Wellington Street, tel 852 2537 2008
Bargain designer clothes
Of all neighbourhoods,Central,with its cluster of luxury shopping malls, is the most compact and best place to shop for designer brands in the city.There are a number of outlets in Central that sell a multitude of designers’ off-season, and sometimes off-off season fashions for a significant discount.You don’t find collections here but bits and pieces,and paying a fraction of the original price makes it all worthwhile.
Zeno, 15-17 Wyndham Street, Man Cheung Bldg, 1/F, tel 852 2868 4850
Designers Plus, 16 Wyndham Street, Wong Chung
Ming Commercial House, 13/F, tel 852 2877 1480
Sequel, 14-16 Gilman St, next to The Centre, one block past Jubilee Street, tel 852 2815 1939
Loehmann’s Coutour and Brands, Asia Standard Tower, 12/F and 11/F respectively, Pottinger Street, corner of Queen’s Road Central, tel 852 2632 5662 and 852 6039 8820
Chinese Antiques
Hongkong is the place to buy Chinese antiques because of its long-standing history and expertise in this arena.Also, should you be hunting for something particularly rare, it is easier to ship items out of this city, than from China where such antiques are closely guarded. The antique market is on Hollywood Road in Central. Start at the top ofWyndham Street and follow it all the way to Cat Street.
Honeychurch Antiques, 29 Hollywood Road, tel 852 2543 2433
Art Treasures Gallery, 47 Hollwood Road, tel 852 2543 0430
Contes D’Orient, 52 Hollywood Road, tel 852 2815 9422
Cashmere
This material is expensive anywhere,but Hongkong is the exception where prices are reasonable.We jot down some favourites.
Fable (4/F) and Dorfit (6/F), Pedder Building, across from the Landmark, Central, tel 852 2530 5148 and 852 2501 0018
Vica Moda, Bank of East Asia Building, The Landmark, Central, tel 852 2522 1331
Pearls & Cashmere, scheduled to open in August at the new Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Central. Otherwise, another branch is located at the Peninsula Hotel Shopping Mall in Tsimshatsui, tel 852 2723 6032
The style gurus
Personal shoppers are available, but you must book them well in advance.
? Eve Roth-Lindsay from Savvy Style is a colour and style expert, who helps both women and men shop for the fashions that best suit them, tel 852 2719 9674. Cost: HK$500 (US$64) per hour.
? Helen Giss from Asian Cajun helps travellers shop for a range of items, tel 852 2817 3687. Cost: US$130 per hour for a minimum three hours.
? Lane Crawford, Hongkong’s foremost luxury department store, IFC Mall in Central, offers a shopping service, tel 2118 7777 as does the British Department store, Harvey Nichols, The Landmark, Central, tel 852 3695 3388.
Need some tips?
Call the Community Advice Bureau and a friendly English voice will try to steer you in the right direction with lots of great suggestions. This is a volunteer organisation of local expat ladies who’ve accumulated an impressive database of everything Hongkong. Open 0930-1630, Mon-Fri, tel 852 2815 5444.
