4 ms·

no more from the tier-1 cities. go to internet forums with good number of residents from Shanghai/Beijing, see how many posts are still about their shopping exp

no more from the tier-1 cities. go to internet forums with good number of residents from Shanghai/Beijing, see how many posts are still about their shopping experience in HK. 10 years ago, I'd be seeing a couple each day on the front page, now you'd be lucky to have one in a week. it is also questionable to believe that there are better selection in HK - the sheer number of affordable consumers and their aggregated purchasing power determine where those tier-1 brands go.

seanmcdirmid 9y ago
Holy shit does Beijing suck for shopping, even in 2017; it is a mixture of really overpriced luxury brands who used to make all their profits on money laundering combined with new malls with the same set of generic stores in each. Maybe Shanghai is better, but if it's anything like Beijing, well, it makes sense why people still go to Korea, Japan, Hong Kong to shop. It always made sense to head down to HK to buy a new iPhone or computer, or wait till I headed back to the states, because shopping in china is just so depressing. $100 for a pair of Levi 550s in sanlitun village that cost $30 stars Fred Myers in the states? No way. Last time I went to HK a year and a half ago, it was still packed with mainlanders shopping like crazy in the malls.
- dis-sys 9y ago
  see comments above from another hn user talking about his experience in Chengdu. I live close to the Nanjing Rd west in Shanghai, buy yourself a ticket to visit those shopping malls on that road, then you can continue to lecture me why should people living in tier-1 cities should continue to go to HK to waste time and money.
  - seanmcdirmid 9y ago
    There has never been anything special about nanjing lu. Surely shanghai has something better than that? That is like going to Wangfujing in Beijing to shop....only if you are a tourist. The nice thing about HK is the diversity of shops. I almost feel like I'm back in the states, I can find things that I'd only find on Taobao in china. Not to mention the lower taxes make it on par with the states for pricing on electronics. Just the savings on a MBP alone will pay for your plane ticket and a night in a reasonable hotel. I'm really baffled why you think shopping in the mainland is "better" than that when the prices are fixed much higher than HK.
    - dis-sys 9y ago
      Nanjing Rd has two completely different sections - Nanjing Rd East, which is a boring low-end touristy place, and Nanjing Rd West which attracts upper middle class locals. You can probably argue that lots of stuff there are overpriced, I'd happily agree with you on that, but Nanjing Rd west is definitely not for tourists. MBP is probably the worst example you can possibly think of - I can order on jd.com and get it delivered in a few days for roughly 105% ($13,888 HKD vs 12,799RMB) of apple.com/hk's listed price. I save a trip to HK and a few hundred $ wasted on flight tickets/hotel stay. https://item.jd.hk/1989565050.html https://item.jd.hk/1989565050.html
      - ksec 9y ago
        Some Facts 1. Most Luxury brands are more expensive in China. 2. Lots of Luxury brands sells slightly outdated products even in Tier-1 Cities. ( May not be Shanghai ) 3. Yes there is a decreasing number of people FROM tier 1 going into Hong Kong for shopping. 4. But that doesn't mean other Non-Tier 1 people aren't going to Hong Kong. 5. Yes those Tier 1 Citizens flies directly to Europe, Japan or Korea to buy what ever they want. So to sum it up both of you were right.

seanmcdirmid 9y ago

Holy shit does Beijing suck for shopping, even in 2017; it is a mixture of really overpriced luxury brands who used to make all their profits on money laundering combined with new malls with the same set of generic stores in each. Maybe Shanghai is better, but if it's anything like Beijing, well, it makes sense why people still go to Korea, Japan, Hong Kong to shop. It always made sense to head down to HK to buy a new iPhone or computer, or wait till I headed back to the states, because shopping in china is just so depressing. $100 for a pair of Levi 550s in sanlitun village that cost $30 stars Fred Myers in the states? No way. Last time I went to HK a year and a half ago, it was still packed with mainlanders shopping like crazy in the malls.

dis-sys 9y ago
see comments above from another hn user talking about his experience in Chengdu. I live close to the Nanjing Rd west in Shanghai, buy yourself a ticket to visit those shopping malls on that road, then you can continue to lecture me why should people living in tier-1 cities should continue to go to HK to waste time and money.
- seanmcdirmid 9y ago
  There has never been anything special about nanjing lu. Surely shanghai has something better than that? That is like going to Wangfujing in Beijing to shop....only if you are a tourist. The nice thing about HK is the diversity of shops. I almost feel like I'm back in the states, I can find things that I'd only find on Taobao in china. Not to mention the lower taxes make it on par with the states for pricing on electronics. Just the savings on a MBP alone will pay for your plane ticket and a night in a reasonable hotel. I'm really baffled why you think shopping in the mainland is "better" than that when the prices are fixed much higher than HK.
  - dis-sys 9y ago
    Nanjing Rd has two completely different sections - Nanjing Rd East, which is a boring low-end touristy place, and Nanjing Rd West which attracts upper middle class locals. You can probably argue that lots of stuff there are overpriced, I'd happily agree with you on that, but Nanjing Rd west is definitely not for tourists. MBP is probably the worst example you can possibly think of - I can order on jd.com and get it delivered in a few days for roughly 105% ($13,888 HKD vs 12,799RMB) of apple.com/hk's listed price. I save a trip to HK and a few hundred $ wasted on flight tickets/hotel stay. https://item.jd.hk/1989565050.html https://item.jd.hk/1989565050.html
    - ksec 9y ago
      Some Facts 1. Most Luxury brands are more expensive in China. 2. Lots of Luxury brands sells slightly outdated products even in Tier-1 Cities. ( May not be Shanghai ) 3. Yes there is a decreasing number of people FROM tier 1 going into Hong Kong for shopping. 4. But that doesn't mean other Non-Tier 1 people aren't going to Hong Kong. 5. Yes those Tier 1 Citizens flies directly to Europe, Japan or Korea to buy what ever they want. So to sum it up both of you were right.