Shopping
The possibilities to shop for your daily living have greatly improved in recent years. Only 20 years ago, foreigners would scramble to the Friendship Store when news reached them that butter had arrived on the shelves. Now, new shops are opening all over Shanghai, selling a wide range of products. Virtually everything needed for a comfortable life is available, however, some of these items are more expensive than might be expected. Service has also greatly improved, but you will still find store clerks talking to each other while customers are trying to catch their attention. The concept of waiting in an orderly line is also not widely accepted, and you may experience a lot of pushing and shoving at store counters.
If not in a government store, you’ll have chances to bargain. Sometimes all you have to do is to ask. Many shops will offer a 10-20% discounts if you ask. When shopping at outdoor stalls or small shops or stores, you’ll get a good bargain if you ask. On the street, the asking price can be three or four times what the seller will end up accepting. In a store, discounts can go anywhere from 10-50%. One way to get a sense of what the “real” market price is to go through the process with a few different sellers. Very few stores have items that cannot be found anywhere else, even antiques.
When outsiders and foreigners come to Shanghai, they would invariably like to buy some of those commodities with special Shanghai flavor to be brought back home as souvenirs, keepsakes or gifts for their relatives and friends. Hailed as the “Shopping Paradise” and “Oriental Paris”, Shanghai has developed into China’s largest commercial city since the first half of the 20th century. The city has developed domestic and foreign trade and better communications facilities. Almost everything is available here. The main shopping streets Nanjing Road as well as Huaihai Road offer so many international brand-names. If you are not interested in fashion, there are numerous shops providing local, special and famous products from other parts of the country or foreign countries. Yuyuan Tourist Trade City sells all kinds of souvenirs while cultural street on Fuzhou Road, curio street on Dongtai Road make the city more colorful. If you come to Shanghai, shopping should not be missed any more than its other charming attractions.
Shopping in Shanghai is a very enjoyable experience. Big brands are setting upbranches and small unique shops mushroom at many corners of the city. With a little patience, sharp observation, ability to endure long walks and bargaining skills, you can buy to your heart's content in the commercial capital of China.
Big shopping malls are convenient to find quality products and supermarkets offer a wide range of products at reasonable prices. Renowned areas offer Shanghai-style souvenirs at unbelievably low prices. To test or improve your bargain skills, there is no better place than Shanghai. Some booth owners even speak good English, Korean and Japanese.
In the old days of Shanghai, many shops for foreign buyers were opened in such sections as Nanking Road (Nanjing Lu), Yates Road (Tongfu Lu), Northern Szechuan Road(Sichuan Bei Lu) and Avenue Joffre(Huaihai Zhong Lu). The tourists coming from all parts of the world would like to go there for shopping.
The advent of the 90s saw the ongoing contriving efforts of Shanghai in creating its image as a "tourists' metropolis" for the tourists from other parts of the country and foreign countries. Having enjoyed the wide fame as "China's Number One Street", Nanjing Road has seen new features with its old face in regression in these few years. On one hand, long-established stores and old famed restaurants have "recovered their youthful vigour", and their business now continues to thrive as ever before. While on the other hand, utterly new shopping centers have sprung up like mushrooms such as Most, Manhattan Square, Wings Dress market and Sincere Company, providing a vast space for the buyers to pick up what they would like to have. On Nanjing Road one can find not only distinctly characterized "Homes of Famous-brand Goods", but also elegant eating houses tastefully lay out. There the mellow fragrance of hot coffee now and then is being wafted to you by the breeze; and fairly often lingers in the air the reverberation of merriment of video game players.
As a “shoppers’ paradise” for the world’s tourist, Shanghai should be able to proffer the world's exquisite goods. It is Huaihai Road that has been fulfilling this requirement for elegant articles on the highest plane. Esprit, Nick, Jeans West, Dison and some other exclusive stores or counters selling brands of goods of international fame are of "Five-Star" grade as has been used to grade luxury hotels, one of which you will find just on the same road----Jinjiang Hotel.
The Old Temple of City God wherein lies Yuyuan the Happy Garden, and the Old Shanghai County Seat City proper retain their classical or antique features in a way. As the first-stage renovation of the used-to-be "kingdom of small commodities", there you will find a complete range of varieties of tourists'souvenirs possessing the unique features of the local Shanghainese taste.
Lastly, Xujia Hui(used to be a border assembly area years ago) has now been built into a new commerce and shopping assembly area. There have gone up Oriental Shopping Centre, Pacific Department Store plus its square, Daqian Centre of Delicious Foods, Jianguo Hotel, Huating Sheralton Hotel and the like. If you go there, to be sure, you will feel the out-of-the-common breath of spirit of this metropolis in the Orient--its name is SHANGHAI!
Specialties
For those coming from out-of-town, buying souvenirs for friends and loved ones at home is a mission indispensable. In many cases the success of a trip depends on the quality of the souvenirs.
We will recommend you some good as following.
Filigrees
Shanghai person are adept at business and are growing wealthier day by day. Jewelry stores filled with gold, platinum and silver could be found everywhere in the city. The most favored metals are gold and platinum. Also, when giving wedding gifts or birthday presents, it is habitual for Shanghaiperson to give gold status that may cost as much as USD 1,000.
Jade Carvings
Shanghai Jade and Ivory Carvings are relatively famous throughout China. Jade, a beautiful stone, comes in an array of colors and can be carved in many styles. There are four kinds of styles of Shanghai Jade Carving mostly including Kiln Bottle, Character, Fowl and Beasts. Thereunto, Kiln Bottle is the most famous with multi-sculpt such as three-foot kiln, four-foot kiln, crane kiln, phoenix kiln, eagle kiln, etc. In 1962, under the lead of Wei Zhengrong, Guan Shengchun, was carved successfully, which depicts the hero postures of 41 Chinese mountaineering team members conquering the world fastigium.
Ivory Carvings
Shanghai Ivory Carvings, highly praised “Oriental Bright Pearl”, and “Chinese Distillate” are famous for its abundance theme, vivid visualize, exquisite technics. Its magnum opus is White Snail Girl, Mussel, Eighteen Arhats fight with Roc, Dragon Boat, and Spring Scape and so on. For its small bulk and no depigmentation, the Ivory Carvings are the ideal souvenirs for tourists.
Silk
Shanghai is one of China’s most important regions for silk production and export. The variety of silk fabrics available is astounding including silk, damask, damask silk, brocade, crape, arrowroot, slub, gauze, etc., which are always admired by the customers both home and abroad. Printed and embroidered silk are also popular and plentiful especially the silk with “the Chinese Painting” as the theme. Its old-timey scene as well as the brand-new technique is rare.
Porcelains
If you are an enthusiast of porcelain, you can go to Shanghai Museum where some of the best porcelain is on offer. Most of them are curiosas in the world. In some big department stores, you may find porcelain made in Jingdezhen. The location of the museum is No. 201 Renming Da Dao.
Clothes & Shoes
If you are interested in boutiques, especially Qipao (Chinese Cheogsam), Changle Road, the Chinese Cheongsam street is a nice destination. It contains about 20 Cheongsam shops and most of them provide tailoring services. It can be found close to Jingjiang Hotel. Nanjing Road and Huaihai Road gather the shopping malls for world renowned brand fashion items. Shanxi Road and Huacoa Road are crowded with small shoe shops with cheap prices. Smooth feel and traditional Chinese scenes and subjects such as mountains and lakes.
Retail Districts
Shanghai is a shopper’s paradise. The shopping areas are all overflowing with shops that meet the demands of both domistic and foreign customers. Shopping in Shanghai is certainly different than Hong Kong or New York, the city is developing its own unique style that will very soon compete with the ultimate shopping experience anywhere else in the world. Currently there are already some wonderful high-end boutiques, as well as large scale designer shops as Catiier, Marc Jacobs, Gucci and Prada will even keep the most fashionable shoppers happy. For those with a more limited budget, there are plenty of other areas that are fun to wander about and gather less expensive, yet equally cool and interesting items. Keep an eye on the section below, as a variety of shopping areas is listed in order to keep all types of shoppers satisfied.
Shanghai has become a shopping paradise for visitors mainly because of its reputed streets, including Nanjing Road, the country's No.1 Commercial Street, Huaihai Road, a street of world-famous brands and latest fashions to attract customers from all over the world, and Xujiahui, a shopping center gathering clothes, shoes, food, cosmetics, digital products and entertainment centers together within a circle.
Huaihai Lu 淮海路
From Madison Mode (at Changshu Lu) to Time Square at Huaihai Park. Local and International brand names, up-scale boutiques, and high-end malls and department stores are all found here.
Side streets in this area are also full of finds. There are small boutiques of all varieties: some are modern and stylish, some are designer knock offs, some are the real thing with the labels cut off, and some you simply want to walk by. Great fun whatever your taste. Most are privately owned or factory-run and are much more open to negotiating. Look for deals on both sides of Huaihai Lu.
Shanxi Lu 陕西路
Women’s shoes and clothing stores. Some are designer goods with labels still intact. Sized for the local market.
Maoming Lu 茂名路
Chinese Qi Pao with a twist. Chinese style touches on tops, dresses, skirts, and even shoes. Some shops take custom orders.
Ruijin Lu 瑞金路
Factory Shops selling their own stock, some are for export so there is the occasional “extra large”.
Changle Lu 长乐路
The street off Maoming Lu. Around the old Jin Jiang Hotel, there are shops that cater to the high-spending Japanese tourist, offering export quality silk and cashmere at almost export prices. The styles tend to be the traditional Chinese ready-to-wear versions.
Xujiahui 徐家汇
The busy intersection of Xujiahui Lu and Huashan Lu. Mid-priced shopping malls and department stores that sell anything one might want clothing-wise, or to set-up house and home. Very popular with the Shanghainese who like style and value. Most things are sized for the local market.
Nanjing Xi Lu 南京西路
From the Shanghai TV Station to the Shanghai Center have spanking new malls like Plaza 66 and CITIC Plaza selling designer styles at designer prices, plus a little import tax added. The street shops also target the foreigner and so many will have larger sizes making the trip to the fitting room worth the trouble.
Nanjing Dong Lu Pedestrian Street 南京路步行街
is the main shopping street of Shanghai, China, and is one of the world's busiest shopping streets. Nanjing Road is located in the city center, running in a west-east direction. Its eastern section is in Huangpu District and extends from The Bund (Wai Tan) west to People's Square. The western section begins at People's Square and continues westward towards Jing'an District.
Yuyuan 豫园
One of the highlights of shopping in Shanghai is a visit to the Old City which is called Yu Yuan. This is one of the “must visit” sections of the city for tourists as well as locals. Tourists come here to shop, eat, and sightsee; locals come here primarily for the pleasant gardens (Yu Yuan Garden). It’s a colorful and fun place to visit, one that can be very crowded on weekends. You can easily spend two to three hours shopping and eating your way through this delightful area.
Grand Supermarkets
China’s supermarket industry continues to develop rapidly. New chain stores are emerging outside the three major cities, as retailers extend their reach into many second-and third tier cities.
There are several shops in Shanghai were foreign foods and specialty items can be bought (such as Metro, Carrefour, and City Supermarket, Pines the Market Place and City Shop.) Many if the five-star hotels also have small foreign food shops, such as the Portman Ritz-Carlton hotel.
Chinese Grocery Shopping
Shanghainese food is different from other regions in China, in that it has a wide assortment of starters that are best eaten cold before the meal. These come pre-packed and are sold in many supermarkets. This makes it easier to try new foods in the comfort of your home. In bigger markets there are ready-to-eat counters (much likethe American delis) that offer trays of such snacks. There is no minimum amount or weight so feel free to ask for a handful.
In the refrigerated units, there are semi-cooked foods like fish and meat in pre-packed containers, which come with everything that you will need to make that one dish, including the ginger and scallions, all you need to add at home is the oil, salt, and soy sauce.
Plan some time to wander down all the aisles simply to look at everything. Chinese food relies heavily on sauces for flavoring, and you’ll notice the sauce aisles go on forever. There are sauces of every flavor. In the canned drinks department, you’ll see things you would never think of on offer, such as Barley tea. Even the ice cream department contains fun surprises.
24-hour Convenience Stores
Lawson, the Japanese / Chinese joint venture, among other round-the-clock stores, has made 24-hour convenience shopping an expectation in almost every neighborhood of Shanghai. The well-stocked and well-lit aisles of these chains offer quick shopping items that one might need at any time of the day, like cold drinks, milk, cigarettes, snack food, and instant noodles. Also available is instant food that costs next-to-nothing, sitting in tubs of broth, or in a warmer. It’s not haute cuisine but it does offer a bite size taste of something different, very different!
Wet Markets
So called because the ground always seems to be wet from the water being splashed on the vegetables. These open-air markets those are no more than stalls on wooden stands can still be found in almost all neighborhoods. Once the place where farmers sold their goods, these semi-permanent “shops” are run much like stores today. Owner’s order their goods from the main distribution centers and sell them just like the supermarkets do. The difference is that as small businesses, they can be coaxed into giving you a better price, or help you pick the freshest produce. Common Tricks to watch out for at thewet market – as a foreigner, you will not be considered a “regular” so watch out for the following tricks. Loading vegetables with water so that they weigh more. Telling you something is fresh when it isn’t (no truth in advertising!) not knowing the price of an items means that you may end up paying double or triple the going rate. Check with a few stalls before buying.
Bread Shops
Most supermarkets make their own breads. Local breads are sweet and soft. If a good whole wheat or rye is what you want, try the delis in the major hotels. But nowadays more and more foreign style bakeries are opening up around town, so good bread is no longer so hard to find, some even offer home delivery. The Shanghainese are not known for their pastries, much of it being dry and hard. However, there are now chains that sell neon-colored cream “western” cakes and some baguette style breads. French croissants and pastries are made at the La Madison Bakery ( Xintiandi ), and Le Garcon Chinos Restaurant Bakery (9 Hengshan Lu) and Paul ( Xintiandi )
If you do your own baking and used to using American all-purpose flour, you will have to experiment with the local kind since it reacts very differently. Even imported flour, unless it is an American brand, will react very differently in baking. This includes European flour. Or Maybe you also want to try the Japanese tasting, you might go to Yamazaki and Ichido to have a look.
Antique and Flea Markets
Shanghai abounds in antiques because of its importance as the largest city in the most populous orbital country. When tourists come to Shanghai, they always want something old or ancient which will remind them of their delightful trip to China later in their life. In order to let you find what you crave more easily, we provide you list of Shanghai’s best-known free markets and antique stores in the listing section.