Where to Buy in China

 

Beijing Department Store

Shopping in China is easy and convenient, as various department stores are commonly found, especially in the high street. The level and scale of these stores vary, depending on the city and the area.Various items for daily use, which are much cheaper, are often offered in the smaller and more ordinary roadside shops or boutiques. Whenever you need something like everyday necessities, snacks or even clothes, you can immediately go there for your favorite things. Don't forget to try bargaining: you may get a special price.
 

In the busy streets of the downtown area, usually in the shopping center of a city, there are large-scale and high-class emporiums, in which not only the domestic brands but also many well-known international brands are all sold. Everyday items, cosmetics, household appliances, bedding, clothes, and everything up-market that you wish for can be found easily to satisfy your every need. Bargaining is seldom acceptable, but there are often special promotions or end-of-season sales with an attractive price.
 

Nanjing Road, a famous  business street in Shanghai

Most large and distinctive Chinese cities, like Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, feature special business streets, where local products are on sale. Merchandise of the same kind is usually sold in the same street, which makes shopping easy and saves you time. The Hongqiao Market in Beijing, also known as the 'Pearl Market', especially attracts female overseas tourists and mainly sells pearl jewellery, while Silver Street, where many boutiques are located, always tempt the youth by its modern fashion. You may also find various characteristic streets selling the four treasured tools of studying (writing brush, ink, inkstone and paper), painting and calligraphy, handicraft, silk and embroidery, jade articles, crockery, furnishings, musical instruments, boutiques, even flowers, as well as grocery streets or food streets. Some of the business streets are pedestrian malls, where tourists can relax and shop at their leisure.
 

The western-style mode of sales operation, the supermarket, is becoming more and more popular in China for its convenience, competitive price and products, close to where people live. Everything you want for daily use can be found easily here. Many world-famous supermarket chains like Wal-Mart, Carrefour and Metro entered the Chinese market by opening scores of branches in most of the larger cities. Domestic brands like the Home World, Trust-Mart and Renrenle are also popular among Chinese people. You have to pay what the price tag shows since bargaining is unacceptable. Make sure your bags are stored in the Locker Service before you start your shopping.

Parkson in Xi'an

A shopping mall in Shanghai

In China, the convenience stores like 7-Eleven can not be seen very often. In some big cities and the cities in southeast part of the country, it's easier to find convenience stores. However, groceries are in a large number. They neighbor the residential areas. The residents can buy some daily articles very conveniently.