Come Sunday noon, lines of shopped-out Angelinos talked of deals made, deals lost, and deals that "should" have been, as they waited to board jumbo jets for the flight home.
Such were the days of the strong American dollar, low airfares, and no airline baggage weight restrictions. At the time, mainland China’s depended on Hong Kong as the primary outlet for its endless supply of manufactured designer goods, brand-name sportswear and cheap knock-offs.
Today, however, Hong Kong’s golden-era as the place to shop in Asia is long past. The pan-Asian economic depression of the 1990’s cut deep into the pocketbooks of wealthy Taiwanese, Japanese, Indonesian and Southeast Asians who made up the lion’s share of Hong Kong shoppers. The setback also eroded incomes of the newly emerging middle and upper-classes of Chinese who had begun to flock to Hong Kong to buy consumer goods not available in China.
By the time the Chinese economy began to rebound in 1999, Hong Kong had lost its role as the major marketplace of Asia. Mainland Chinese demand for easily obtained products and an upsurge in tourism in China had created demand in Shanghai and other major Chinese cities for goods once available only in Hong Kong. International tourism in China took an upswing, placing China third in the ranks of world travel destinations. Finally, over the years, prices in Hong Kong shot up, further diminishing its reputation a shopping Mecca.
I first visited China nearly 20 years ago when the Friendship Stores, located (only in) Beijing and other large cities, were the sole place foreigners were welcome to buy goods — mostly handmade souvenirs from the various provinces. When I returned to China in 1999, the Friendship Stores were being edged out by local outdoor markets, such as the Yu Yuan Gardens in Shanghai and Beijing’s Silk Alley. Offering low-end Chinese merchandise and designer knock-offs, they provided excellent shopping for bargain hunters and those with an eye for good-quality fakes.
By 2004 the retailing scene had shifted further. Although the open markets still snared a goodly share of international tourist dollars, shopping centers selling low-end Chinese goods had captured the local trade. Here and there, city retailers offered good-quality, trendy fashion items. A few boasted high-end fashions from France and Italy. Tourists, however, found such stores hard to navigate. In both Zhengzhou and Hangzhou I was forced to take along translators and found that many shops didn’t take credit cards.
Today, shoppers can still bargain for knock-off Chanel bags and Rolexes on China’s streets and out-of-the-way shops, but what’s new are well-lighted, air-conditioned shopping malls that boast International ATM’s, McDonald’s and Starbucks. English-speaking salespeople offer a full spate of Chinese and international clothing, appliances and cosmetics. Even more staggering is number of upscale retailers and international designer shops. With more millionaires and billionaires than any other country in the world, China has become the world’s largest market for luxury brands.
What tickles my fancy, however, is that China now is a hub for fashion-forward shoppers who want cutting-edge styles at reasonable prices — a nod from the Chinese fashion industry to the millions of emerging upper-middle class Chinese women with international tastes and discretionary money in their pockets. Much to the chagrin of the American fashion industry, such manufacturers are taking their design cues from Japan and Europe and turning out new looks with a distinctly Chinese twist — Chinese fashions that are unavailable outside China.
I recently flew into LAX from Beijing feeling that I had shopped my way across China, although the purpose of my trip had been work that required me to criss-cross the country for three weeks. But by the end of the trip, my bags bulged with new slacks, tops, dresses, and shoes that look better and cost less than anything I can find in LA.
Is it worth the airfare to China merely to shop as in the old days of tripping off to Hong Kong? Probably not, given today’s ticket prices and the restrictions on baggage weight. But for those who travel to China for vacation or work, and enjoy shopping, it’s well worth the time and energy to check out the Chinese fashion scene.
Copyright 2007 Karen Kaigler Walker All Rights Reserved
About the author:
Karen Kaigler-Walker, Ph.D. is Chair of the Department of Marketing at Woodbury University and professor of marketing and psychology. She is an adjunct professor of women’s spirituality at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA and serves on the executive board of the Educational and Cultural Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization that builds and supports orphanages, schools, after school nutrition/educational centers, senior citizen facilities and seminaries throughout Asia. Currently she is filming a documentary on the role of women in the Chinese Christian community. Contact: karen.kaigler-walker@woodbury.edu.
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