Shopping For Daily Necessities in Hong Kong
  Jul 29 2015

It will not take you long to realize that Hong Kong people love to eat. Cooked food is available in all forms from fine dining and casual snack shops to takeaway and home/office delivery of nearly any cuisine.  For those who enjoy cooking for themselves, there is also a wide variety of places to shop. Ingredients are shipped in from all over the world and the choice is limitless albeit not inexpensive for imported ingredients. 
 
Although you would truly be hard pressed not to find your favorite product or an acceptable substitute, supplies depend on order flow and shipping schedules, and the general rule of thumb is to buy when you see what you want.  In other words, do not assume that the item will still be waiting for you on the shelf on your next visit.  
 
 
 
Hong Kong people traditionally tend to shop daily in the wet market, which is a wonderful source for the freshest fruit, vegetables, meat and seafood, especially if you prefer a more colorful and often less expensive shopping experience.  Located in nearly every district, these tend to remain open in the early evening to accommodate office-workers shopping on their way home.     You can haggle for a lower price, but unless you speak the lingua franca (and speak it well) be prepared to have to drive a hard bargain!   Language hurdles aside, there is no more important relationship than the one with your fruit and vegetable seller to assure you are buying the freshest produce he or she has.    The market running along Graham Street in Central has a few vegetable stalls that cater principally to a Western diet.
 
 
 
GRAHAM STREET MARKET from Queen’s Road Central uphill to Staunton Street, Central
BOWRINGTON ROAD MARKET under Canal Road flyover, Wan Chai
 
Note: The wet markets are well regulated by the Government and maintain a high level of hygiene.  Nevertheless, check to see if a stall maintains meets your level of acceptable cleanliness before buying anything. 
 

 

 
The two major supermarket chains are Park ‘N’ Shop and Wellcome, both of which operate  in all districts -- although the names above the door may differ (see following list)—with their shelves stocked according to the neighborhood’s demand for western and local ingredients.    All deliver, often free-of-charge if you buy a certain amount, and are  open seven days a week from early morning to early (business districts) / late evening (residential districts) with the urban centers open 24 hours.    
 
There are also several smaller grocery chains that may not offer the variety but in many cases prices can be more attractive on selected items.
 
 

PARK ‘N’ SHOP

- ParknShop / International / Taste / Fusion

- ParknShop Superstores

- GREAT

http://www.parknshop.com

http://www.greatfoodhall.com

WELLCOME

- Wellcome

- Market Place by Jasons

- Olivers

- ThreeSixty 

http://www.wellcome.com.hk

http://www.marketplacebyjasons.com

http://www.oliversthedeli.com.hk

http://www.threesixtyhk.com

CRC VANGUARD http://www.crvanguard.com.hk
DCH FOODMART http://www.eshop.dchfoodmartdeluxe.com

 

Specialty retail shops cater to nearly every desire or diet-restriction albeit at a premium. Below are a few to get you going:

CITY’SUPER  food & wine, household products http://www.citysuper.com.hk
SOGO food hall - japanese & imported foods
GATEWAY  american products

188 Des Voeux Rd, Sheung Wan

Tel: 2545 0338

IL BEL PAESE  italian delicatessen http://www.ilbelpaese.com.hk
EURO TREAT  european food products http://www.eurotreat.com.hk
VIVA ITALIA  italian delicatessen

1116 & 1117, 11/F, Horizon Plaza, 2 Lee Wing Street, Ap Lei Chau

Tel: 2859 9931

MONSIEUR CHATTÉ  french delicatessen  http://www.monsieurchatte.com
GREEN CONCEPT HEALTH SHOP  organic products http://www.naturalhealing.com.hk
HEALTHY DELIGHT  organic products http://www.healthydelight.net
WATSON’S WINE  wines http://www.watsonswine.com
PONTI WINE CELLAR  wines http://www.pontiwinecellars.com.hk

 

 
Nearly all retailers will delivery purchases (charges may apply) to one’s home.  The following suppliers do not have shops (or if they do, it is a small one) but take orders via websites or the phone/fax and deliver to your doorstep.  They usually have a specific expertise (frozen or fresh meat and poultry, seafood, organic vegetables) but often extend their lines to include related foodstuffs. 
 
 
 
 
 
BAYERN GOURMET  meat & seafood  http://www.bgf.com.hk
MEATMARKET  meat & seafood   http://www.meatmarket.com.hk
TENDERLOIN   meat & seafood http://www.tenderloin.com.hk
THE PORTERHOUSE   meat & seafood http://www.porterhouse.com.hk
SOUTH STREAM SEAFOODS   meat & seafood   http://www.south-stream-seafoods.com
HOMEGROWN FOODS  local fruit & vegetables http://www.homegrownfoods.com.hk
GREEN DOT DOT   organic food products http://www.greendotdot.com
HONEY PET   pet supplies http://www.honeypetshop.com
APE PET EXPRESS   pet supplies http://www.apepet.com
WISE PET   pet supplies http://www.wisepet.com

     

 
 
For those with restricted diets, the aforementioned shops should be able to cater to most needs.  In addition have also listed the following website addresses to provide guidance:
 
 
 
 
KOSHERMART - Jewish Community Center  kosher foods http://www.kosherdelight.com/HongKongKosherFood.htm
OHEL LEAH SYNOGOGUE  kosher foods  http://www.ohelleah.org/visitor_retail.html
HAPPY COW  vegetarian         http://www.happycow.net
ISLAM ORGANIZATION  halal foods    http://www.islam.org.hk
LITTLE GIANT  allergies    http://www.littlegiant.com.hk/en_index.php

 

 
Shopping in General
 
There is a plethora of shopping centers and street markets selling products from around the world. Since nearly everything is imported, we advise buying something when you see it as it may not be on the shelf when you next need it.   
 
It would take volumes to list every center and every shop, so we shall limit ourselves to mentioning a few centers and street markets. 
 
 
 
 
 
IKEA  household http://www.ikea.com/hk/en
WING ON DEPARTMENT STORE  everything http://www.wingonet.com
YUE HWA DEPARTMENT STORE  goods of Chinese origin  
SOGO DEPARTMENT STORE  everything  http://www.sogo.com.hk
LANE CRAWFORD DEPT STORE  luxury brands  http://www.lanecrawford.com
The Landmark, Central  Luxury brand shopping center http://www.landmark.hk/en/default
IFC   Shopping center in Central          http://www.ifc.com.hk
PACIFIC PLACE   Shopping center in Admiralty  http://www.pacificplace.com.hk
TIMES SQUARE   Shopping center in Causeway Bay      http://www.timessquare.com.hk
CITYPLAZA   Shopping center in Tai Koo Shing   http://www.cityplaza.com
HARBOUR CITY   Shopping center in Tsim Sha Tsui http://www.harbourcity.com.hk
FESTIVAL WALK   Shopping center in Kowloon Tong     http://www.festivalwalk.com.hk
PEDDAR BUILDING  Boutiques & Outlets in Central 12 Peddar Street
HORIZONS PLAZA  furniture & outlet shops in Ap Lei Chau Lee Nam Road
STANLEY MARKET  Street market in Stanley     http://www.hk-stanley-market.com
LADIES MARKET  Street market in Mong Kok  Tung Choi Street
SPRING GARDEN LANE  Street market in Wan Chai   Between Queen’s Road E & Johnston Road
LI YUEN EAST & WEST  Street markets in Central      Between Queen’s Road &  Des Voeux Road 

                                                                                    

 
As with food products, a wide variety of cookware and kitchenware, from the inexpensive to the sublime, is available. Apart from the kitchenware section in each department store (i.e. Wing On has an excellent selection), there are a number of small specialty boutiques often found on smaller side streets (where the rent is slightly more affordable).   
 
 
 
 
 
GOODS OF DESIRE (GOD)  specialty department store http://god.com.hk
PANHANDLER  specializes in high-end cookware  http://www.thepanhandler.biz
PANTRY MAGIC  specializes in cookware  http://www.pantry-magic.com
SHANGHAI STREET  shops catering to restaurant trade  Shanghai Street, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon
COMPLETE DEELITE  cake & baking tools   http://completedeelite.com

 

 
Chemists can be found on virtually every street corner in Hong Kong. Many personal care items are also found on grocery store shelves, and standalone specialty boutiques abound in any of Hong Kong’s major shopping centers.  In Hong Kong, Doctors are allowed to dispense medicine so visits to the clinic will often negate an extra trip to the chemists.   Otherwise, counterfeit drugs regrettably do find their way into the supply chain, and we recommend that you use the two largest chains or the reliable pharmacy listed below.
 
 
 
 
MANNINGS  Located throughout Hong Kong
WATSONS Located throughout Hong Kong
FANDA  Worldwide House, Central  Tel: 25379834
 
 
 
Electronics and appliances from all over the world are available here. Nearly every shopping centre has at least one electronic shop.   Fortress and Broadway are the largest electrical retailers and have branches throughout Hong Kong. 
 

 
 
There are a large number of local newspapers published in Chinese and two in English, of which the South China Morning post has the largest circulation.  
 
SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST  in English http://www.scmp.com
THE STANDARD   in English http://www.thestandard.com.hk
HK ECONOMIC JOURNAL  in Chinese http://www.hkej.com
MING PAO DAILY  in Chinese   http://www.mingpao.com
SING PAO DAILY  in Chinese
http://www.singpao.com
SING TAO  in Chinese 
http://www.singtao.com
APPLE DAILY  in Chinese http://hk.nextmedia.com
 
 
 
Hong Kong has several bookshops to satisfy your reading needs in Chinese and English. For the latter, the cost is higher, especially for magazines that are shipped in by air. Many retailers now offer a loyalty program to frequent customers, so ask before making your first purchase.   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
HK BOOKCENTRE/KELLY&WALSH/SWINDON in English
http://www.swindonbooks.com
BOOKAZINE in English & stationary   http://www.bookazine.com.hk

COMMERCIAL PRESS  mainly in Chinese   

BLOOMSBURY BOOKS  focus on business & law

http://www.commercialpress.com.hk

http://www.bloomsbury.com.hk

FLOW BOOKS  used books   http://www.flowbooks.net/
JOINT PUBLISHING  in Chinese http://www.jointpublishing.com
POPULAR  in Chinese http://www.popular.com.hk/jsp/index.jsp
PADDYFIELD  in English with emphasis on children     http://www.paddyfield.com
PAGE ONE  in English & Chinese   http://www.pageonegroup.com
ESLITE  in English & Chinese   http://www.eslitecorp.com/Site/Site_List.aspx?a=hk&l=b&sc=HK
 
 
 
Computer equipment and supplies are readily available in Hong Kong.  There are a few computer centers that can satisfy most of your needs. For more information, click here to read our guide on technology hotspots in Hong Kong.
 
STAR HOUSE 3 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
WAN CHAI COMPUTER CENTRE      298 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai
WINDSOR HOUSE 311 Gloucester Rd, Causeway Bay
GOLDEN COMPUTER ARCADE 146-152 Fuk Wa Street, Sham Shui Po

 

 

Shopping for children in Hong Kong is easy as both China-produced and imported goods are widely available.  As with adults, however, sizes tend to run smaller.   It would require volumes to list every shop, so we have limited the following list to a few major retailers and harder-to-find treasures.  Apart from the major shops listed in previous sections, Prince’s Building in Central, Harbour City in TsimShaTsui, and Lee Gardens in Causeway Bay are just three shopping centers that dedicate whole floors to children’s needs.   Stanley Market is an open air market with a ready supply of inexpensive clothing and toys.   The Ladies Market is a street market in MongKok that offers real bargains but hit-or-miss merchandise.  Pottinger Street in Central has a number of outdoor stalls specializing in costumes and accessories.
 
 
LINEA NEGRA maternity http://www.lineanegra.com.hk
NINE MONTHS maternity https://www.facebook.com/NineMonthsHK/
BABY CENTRAL  maternity & baby http://babycentral.com.hk
BUMPS TO BABES  everything http://www.bumpstobabes.com
MOTHERCARE  everything  http://www.mothercare.com.hk
ZARA  clothes http://www.zara.com
STRIDE RITE  footwear http://www.striderite.com.hk
SOLAR SUIT  uv protection swimsuits http://www.solarsuit.com.hk
BABY BOOM  educational toys http://www.babyboom.com.hk
TOYS CLUB  toys, books and crafts http://stores.itoysclub.com/StoreFront.bok
TOYS R US  toys 
http://www.toysrus.com.hk
WISE KIDS  toys and crafts http://wisekidstoys.com
POLLUX BOOKS  books http://www.polluxbooks.com/
ONE STOP PARTY SHOP  party supplies

2/F Prince’s Building, Central  

Tel: 2523 3814

ARABELLA’S PARTY  party planner http://www.arabellasparty.com
COMPLETE DEELITE   cake & supplies http://completedeelite.com
PRINCE’S BUILDING   shopping center http://www.centralhk.com
HARBOUR CITY   shopping center http://www.harbourcity.com.hk
FESTIVAL WALK   shopping center http://www.festivalwalk.com.hk

 

Image Credits: Flickr Creative Commons

<span style="display:inline-block">Tight on time?</span>&nbsp;<span>Let us do the searching for you!</span>
Copyright 2022 OKAY Property Agency Limited. All rights reserved.