Shopping

There are always crowds shopping in Hong Kong.  Shopping malls and separate stores are everywhere.  From large to small, from expensive to more affordable, from new to older - they all actually look very new and clean.  In the busy (touristy) areas, fashion and electronics are the same prices or higher than in Manhattan's flagship stores.  You can find a store with amazing products from any brand you can think of - American, Italian, French, Japanese.. HK's got you covered.

Stores are open 7 days a week until 9PM or 10PM (some have signs saying that they are closed on the first day of the Chinese New Year).  And the stores are usually pretty busy and full of shoppers, just like the many restaurants.  No wonder there was not much of a recession here last year.

Here is a recap as I wait for my flight to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) before I continue to Tokyo.

A Mercedes covered with crystals at Elements Mall.

A 7-Eleven in a residential area.

A high-end Calvin Klein Underwear store that I visited with colleagues (my company runs these).  A pair of black label briefs in a luxury box costs US$45.

Another really cool store run by my company.

A popular fashion retailer, bauhaus.

In a Muji (Japanese) department store.

Her name is Ka and she managed to sell me this shirt.

This is where you can also buy ginseng but it is extremely expensive (marked up for tourists).

I've visited a McDonald's here (pictures to come).

 

A moment of greed.  A lifetime of regret.  The rest of the sign on the bus reads: Maximum penalty for shoplifting is 10 years' imprisonment.

Shoplifting seems to be the biggest crime to crack down on in Hong Kong.  It is super safe to walk around at any time or to leave your belongings unattended to a degree - no assaults or thefts to speak of.