A COMMON SIGHT-LINES TO GET INTO STORES
Before my travels to Hong Kong, I always assumed that the best shopping was in New York City. Yet, either you drop buckets of cash on high end designers, spend money on younger designers, that offer unique style, yet at times the quality doesn't match the price tag (their small production runs hurt both them and their potential consumers) or you can enter J Crew, H&M, Banana Republic, etc etc which offer the basics, without much ingenuity. Last time I dropped into Club Monaco, I was shocked at the prices ($100.00 for a t shirt made in China). I was excited for Top Shop's entry, yet found I had aged out and gladly so, the clothing is a complete rip off.
Over the last years, I realized that these "homogenized" stores were making loads of cash, using China production as their gateway. They pay bargain production prices in China, and rather than pay these local Chinese employees more money, they earn more profit. We consumer don't benefit.
While in Hong Kong, yes, there are the typical brands, but there are countless (even in the malls) one off shops made up of Japanese brands, Korean brands, HK based brands, and tons of lower cost versions of IF and Opening Ceremony throughout the city. And most of these stores are quite affordable, even outside of the abundant sales.
According to the HK Tourism Board, 50% of tourists money is spent on shopping. And the locals love to shop as well, indicative in their style, the 100s of malls (which are fun to shop, as the stores are unique) and the crowded shops (at all times). Hong Kong is a duty free port, there is no sales tax and with most of the production taking place in China, all of these unique shops carry fantastic clothes at the fraction of the price we pay in the west.
Its a candy store for the fashion oriented and I will use this blog to introduce new designers from the East along with the top concept stores in the city.
No comments:
Post a Comment