Shopping is a popular social activity in Hong Kong, where basic items for sale do not draw any duties, sales taxation, or import taxation. Only specific

import An import is the receiving country in an export from the sending country. Importation and exportation are the defining financial transactions of international trade. In international trade, the importation and exportation of goods are limited ...

goods such as

alcohol Alcohol most commonly refers to: * Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom * Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks Alcohol may also refer to: Chemicals * Ethanol, one of sev ...

tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...

perfume Perfume (, ; french: parfum) is a mixture of fragrant essential oils or aroma compounds (fragrances), fixatives and solvents, usually in liquid form, used to give the human body, animals, food, objects, and living-spaces an agreeable scent ...

cosmetics Cosmetics are constituted mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either natural sources, or synthetically created ones. Cosmetics have various purposes. Those designed for personal care and skin care can be used to cleanse or protec ...

cars A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, people in ...

and

petroleum Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crud ...

products have associated taxes. For companies, there is a 17.5%

corporate tax A corporate tax, also called corporation tax or company tax, is a direct tax imposed on the income or capital of corporations or analogous legal entities. Many countries impose such taxes at the national level, and a similar tax may be imposed a ...

, which is lower than international standards. Shoppers reportedly spend over US$5.2 billion a month in Hong Kong shops. Hong Kong's proximity to manufacturing plants in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...

, as well as its status as a

free port Free economic zones (FEZ), free economic territories (FETs) or free zones (FZ) are a class of special economic zone (SEZ) designated by the trade and commerce administrations of various countries. The term is used to designate areas in which co ...

, allow it to sell and transport a wide variety of goods. There are few restrictions on merchandise vending, and therefore items such as realistic

toy weapons Toy guns are toys which imitate real guns, but are designed for recreational sport or casual play by children. From hand-carved wooden replicas to factory-produced pop guns From Gilroy Gardens and cap guns, toy guns come in all sizes, price ...

are available. The two main shopping seasons are at

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...

and the

Chinese New Year Chinese New Year is the festival that celebrates the beginning of a new year on the traditional lunisolar and solar Chinese calendar. In Chinese and other East Asian cultures, the festival is commonly referred to as the Spring Festival () a ...

. The region is unique in the sense that it is official languages are both Cantonese and English, which enables a healthy tourist trade with English-speaking customers as bilingual sales tags and salespeople are common, especially in tourist areas. The

MTR The Mass Transit Railway (MTR) is a major public transport network serving :Hong Kong. Operated by the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL), it consists of heavy rail, light rail, and feeder bus service centred on a 10-line rapid transit network ...

subway and effective

taxi service A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice ...

also facilitate Hong Kong's busy shopping industry.

Overview

Hong Kong is the fifth largest exporter of jewellery in the world, mainly in the supply of

jade Jade is a mineral used as jewellery or for ornaments. It is typically green, although may be yellow or white. Jade can refer to either of two different silicate minerals: nephrite (a silicate of calcium and magnesium in the amphibole group ...

and

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile ...

, and the second largest exporter of custom jewellery. Chow Seng Seng and

Luk Fook Luk or LUK may refer to: Surname Luk or Loke is the Cantonese romanization of several (but not all) Chinese surnames that are romanized as Lu in Mandarin. It may refer to: * Lu (surname 陆) * Lu (surname 禄) *Lu (surname 逯) *Lu (surname 鹿) ...

are among the more well-known local jewellery chains. A variety of cuisines are available in Hong Kong; the Soho area in

Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known a ...

is the centre for Western foods, while traditional Chinese cuisines including

Shanghainese The Shanghainese language, also known as the Shanghai dialect, or Hu language, is a variety of Wu Chinese spoken in the central districts of the City of Shanghai and its surrounding areas. It is classified as part of the Sino-Tibetan langua ...

, Hanainanese, and

Cantonese Cantonese ( zh, t=廣東話, s=广东话, first=t, cy=Gwóngdūng wá) is a language within the Chinese (Sinitic) branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages originating from the city of Guangzhou (historically known as Canton) and its surrounding a ...

are widely available. Street vendors or hawkers selling local snacks such as

dumpling Dumpling is a broad class of dishes that consist of pieces of dough (made from a variety of starch sources), oftentimes wrapped around a filling. The dough can be based on bread, flour, buckwheat or potatoes, and may be filled with meat, ...

s and

snake soup Snake soup or stew () is a popular Cantonese delicacy and health supplement in Hong Kong, which contains the meats of at least two types of snakes as the main ingredients. The soup tastes slightly sweet because of the addition of chrysanthemum ...

can be found in

Mong Kok Mong Kok (also spelled Mongkok, often abbreviated as MK) is an area in Kowloon, Hong Kong. The Prince Edward subarea occupies the northern part of Mong Kok. Mong Kok is one of the major shopping areas in Hong Kong. The area is characterised ...

and

Causeway Bay Causeway Bay is an area and a bay on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong, straddling the border of the Eastern and the Wan Chai districts. It is a major shopping, leisure and cultural centre in Hong Kong, with a number of major shopping centres. Th ...

. Custom

tailor A tailor is a person who makes or alters clothing, particularly in men's clothing. The Oxford English Dictionary dates the term to the thirteenth century. History Although clothing construction goes back to prehistory, there is evidence of ...

ing is popular and affordable in Hong Kong. Customers can draw out a design for clothing and have it made in a few days. Modern fashion is sold in the

Times Square Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and neighborhood in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway, Seventh Avenue, and 42nd Street. Together with adjacent ...

, IFC, and Elements shopping malls, while leather goods are available in

Tsim Sha Tsui Tsim Sha Tsui, often abbreviated as TST, is an urban area in southern Kowloon, Hong Kong. The area is administratively part of the Yau Tsim Mong District. Tsim Sha Tsui East is a piece of land reclaimed from the Hung Hom Bay now east of Tsi ...

Fa Yuen Street Fa Yuen Street () is a street between Boundary Street and Dundas Street in Mong Kok, Kowloon, Hong Kong. With over fifty stores selling sport shoes, the street is famous for selling sport gear and is known as ''Sport Shoes Street'' or ''Sneaker ...

and the Ladies Market (女人街) on Tung Choi Street in Mong Kok, as well as Jardine’s Crescent in Causeway Bay, are known for the availability of low-priced clothing and accessories. Electronics from Japan and Europe are available for example in

Apliu Street Apliu Street () is a street in the Sham Shui Po area of Kowloon, Hong Kong. Location Apliu Street runs parallel to Cheung Sha Wan Road between Yen Chow Street and Nam Cheong Street. An easy way to reach it is to get off at the MTR Sham S ...

and the Golden Shopping Center in

Sham Shui Po Sham Shui Po is an area of Kowloon, Hong Kong, situated in the northwestern part of the Kowloon Peninsula, north of Tai Kok Tsui, east of Cheung Sha Wan and south of Shek Kip Mei (). It is located in and is the namesake of the Sham Shui ...

. There are computer appliances centers in

Wan Chai Wan Chai is situated at the western part of the Wan Chai District on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, in Hong Kong. Its other boundaries are Canal Road to the east, Arsenal Street to the west and Bowen Road to the south. The area n ...

, Mong Kok,

Kowloon Kowloon () is an urban area in Hong Kong comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. With a population of 2,019,533 and a population density of in 2006, it is the most populous area in Hong Kong, compared with Hong Kong Island and ...

, and Causeway Bay. Japanese culture has become popular in Hong Kong, with

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...

ese department stores such as Sogo, Yata, and

Muji (), or is a Japanese retail company which sells a wide variety of household and consumer goods. Muji's design philosophy is minimalist, and it places an emphasis on recycling, reducing production and packaging waste, and a no-logo or "no-bran ...

operating. Japanese clothing brands like

Swordfish Swordfish (''Xiphias gladius''), also known as broadbills in some countries, are large, highly migratory predatory fish characterized by a long, flat, pointed bill. They are a popular sport fish of the billfish category, though elusive. Swordf ...

, Moussy, and Uniqlo have also opened flagship stores in the city.

Stanley Market Stanley Market () is a street market in Stanley on Hong Kong Island Hong Kong Island is an island in the southern part of Hong Kong. Known colloquially and on road signs simply as Hong Kong, the island has a population of 1,289,500 and it ...

sells a variety of inexpensive goods, particularly souvenirs. Antiques can be found on Upper Lascar Row and

Hollywood Road Hollywood Road is a street in Central and Sheung Wan, on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. The street runs between Central and Sheung Wan, with Wyndham Street, Arbuthnot Road, Ladder Street, Upper Lascar Row, and Old Bailey Street in the vicini ...

, which are popular with tourists.

History

During its early colonial period, Hong Kong served as a port that sold far more than it consumed. Goods were mostly sold via mobile hawking or independent traders, with the majority of trade, utilities, shipping, and manufacturing handled by major business houses known as

hongs A ''hong'' () originally designates both a type of building and a type of Chinese merchant intermediary in Guangzhou (formerly known as Canton), Guangdong, China, in the 18–19th century, specifically during the Canton System period. Guangzh ...

. The establishment of banks and deposit institutions allowed people to accumulate

saving Saving is income not spent, or deferred consumption. Methods of saving include putting money aside in, for example, a deposit account, a pension account, an investment fund, or as cash. Saving also involves reducing expenditures, such as recur ...

s. The economy underwent an upturn in the

1960s File:1960s montage.png, Clockwise from top left: U.S. soldiers during the Vietnam War; the Beatles led the British Invasion of the U.S. music market; a half-a-million people participate in the 1969 Woodstock Festival; Neil Armstrong and Buzz ...

, which led to the opening of several shopping centres.

Shopping centres

Two of the first modern shopping centres were Ocean Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui and The Landmark in

, above the

station. Daimaru led a trend of Japanese exports into Hong Kong in 1966 and

Deng Xiaoping Deng Xiaoping (22 August 1904 – 19 February 1997) was a Chinese revolutionary leader, military commander and statesman who served as the paramount leader of the China, People's Republic of China (PRC) from December 1978 to November 1989. Aft ...

's 1978

Open Door Policy The Open Door Policy () is the United States diplomatic policy established in the late 19th and early 20th century that called for a system of equal trade and investment and to guarantee the territorial integrity of Qing China. The policy wa ...

made Hong Kong the definitive gateway to

. As the economy improved during the 1970s and 80s, there was increasing demand for

luxury goods In economics, a luxury good (or upmarket good) is a good (economics), good for which demand (economics), demand increases more than what is proportional as income rises, so that expenditures on the good become a greater proportion of overall spend ...

, such as

air conditioning Air conditioning, often abbreviated as A/C or AC, is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space to achieve a more comfortable interior environment (sometimes referred to as 'comfort cooling') and in some cases also strictly controlling ...

. In 1984,

Cityplaza Cityplaza () is an office and shopping development, developed by Swire Properties, at 18 Taikoo Shing Road, Taikoo Shing, Hong Kong. It is adjacent to Taikoo Place, another office complex developed by Swire. The six-level shopping c ...

Taikoo Shing Taikoo Shing or Tai Koo Shing (), is a private residential development in Quarry Bay, in the eastern part of Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. It is a part of Swire's property business, along with Taikoo Place, the adjacent Cityplaza retail and off ...

was redeveloped. A large architectural project at the time was also undertaken to connect Ocean Centre to the Harbour City shopping mall in

. Many large shopping centres were also built in the

new towns A planned community, planned city, planned town, or planned settlement is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed on previously undeveloped land. This contrasts with settlements that evolve ...

, including

Tuen Mun Town Plaza Tuen Mun Town Plaza (S as tmtplaza; Chinese: 屯門市廣場) is the largest shopping mall in the NW New Territories of Hong Kong. Established in 1988 and located in the town of Tuen Mun, it was developed by the Sino Group. It provides a large ...

New Town Plaza New Town Plaza is a shopping mall in the town centre of Sha Tin, Hong Kong. Developed by Sun Hung Kai Properties, it was the biggest shopping centre in the New Territories when it was completed in the early 1980s. Covering 200,000 square metre ...

, and Tai Po Mega Mall. The large mall construction movement continued into the 1990s with Pacific Place,

Dragon Centre Dragon Centre is a nine-storey shopping centre in the Sham Shui Po area of Kowloon, Hong Kong. It was the largest in West Kowloon until the Elements opened above the Kowloon MTR station. History Located beside the historic Sham Shui Po Po ...

Time Square Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and neighborhood in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway, Seventh Avenue, and 42nd Street. Together with adjacent D ...

Plaza Hollywood Plaza Hollywood () is a large shopping centre in Diamond Hill, Kowloon, Hong Kong. It is part of Galaxia, a residential estate of Wharf Holdings. The shopping centre opened in 1997, and includes four levels surrounding a central atrium. It ha ...

and

Festival Walk Festival Walk is a shopping centre in Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong developed jointly by Swire Properties and CITIC Pacific between 1993 and 1998. At the time of its opening in November 1998, it was the biggest shopping mall in Hong Kong. Festiv ...

. Developments further expanded into the

New Territories The New Territories is one of the three main regions of Hong Kong, alongside Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula. It makes up 86.2% of Hong Kong's territory, and contains around half of the population of Hong Kong. Historically, it ...

Speciality local stores

Arome Bakery Arome Bakery () is a Hong Kong-based Japanese-style chain bakery. It operates over 50 shops in Hong Kong. It was founded in the 1980s by Ching-Po Yu () and his daughter Man-Ying Yu (), who are also the founders of Hong Kong Construction, the ...

- bakery chain store * Cheap Lab - stationery *

c!ty'super , stylised in logos as "c!ty'super" (the company name is City Super Limited), is a retail chain in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Positioned as a mega lifestyle specialty store, its core format of upmarket supermarkets sell primarily fresh produce and ...

- supermarket and lifestyle *

Commercial Press The Commercial Press () is the first modern publishing organisation in China. History In 1897, 26-year-old Xia Ruifang and three of his friends (including the Bao brothers Bao Xian'en and Bao Xianchang) founded The Commercial Press in Shang ...

- book store chain * Goods of Desire (G.O.D.) - lifestyle retail store * Giordano - retail clothing store *

Joint Publishing Joint Publishing (), also known as Sanlian Press or SDX Joint Publishing, is a book store chain and publisher founded at Queen's Road Central in Hong Kong on 18 October 1948. Joint Publishing (Hong Kong) is one of major book store chains in Ho ...

- book store chain * Leung So Kee - umbrellas * ParknShop - supermarkets * Sincere Department Store *

Watson's Watsons () is a Hong Kong health care and beauty care chain store in Asia and Europe. It is the flagship health and beauty brand of the A.S. Watson Group, which is majority owned by CK Hutchison Holdings. It operates near 8,000 stores and ...

- pharmactical, health and beauty chain store *

Wellcome Wellcome () is a supermarket chain owned by British conglomerate Jardine Matheson Holdings via its DFI Retail Group subsidiary. The Wellcome supermarket chain is one of the two largest supermarket chains in Hong Kong, the other being Park ...

- supermarkets *

Wing On Wing On () is a department store company in Hong Kong. The company is owned by a Hong Kong listed company Wing On Company International Limited (), incorporated in Bermuda. The holding company of the listed company itself is Wing On Internation ...

- department chain store * Yu Kee Food - chain supermarkets

References

{{Shopping centres in Hong Kong Culture of Hong Kong Retailing in Hong Kong

Overview

History

Shopping centres

Speciality local stores

See also

References