Shanghai has something for everyone. There are major shopping centers located in every part of the city. Among the favorites for expats are:
City Mall: This is a modern and very large mall situated next to the Jing’an Temple. There are the expected brand name shops, such as Montblanc, Burberry and Jean Paul Gautier, who share space with an eight-story department store, a basement supermarket and food court, and dining and beauty outlets on the 9th floor. Daily 10am to 10pm. Address: Nanjing Xi Lu 1618; phone: 3217 4838.
Grand Gateway Shopping Mall: This is the biggest shopping center in the very popular Xujiahui district. It has about 250 shops, recreational facilities and restaurants. The Grand Gateway appeals to all ages, an ideal outing for the whole family. Located on 2118 Huashan Road. Phone: 6407 0047.
Hongqiao Friendship Shopping Center: This shopping center has authentic foreign goods at prices to match. It is a one-stop shop that carries more than just the usual assortment of tourist knick-knacks. World famous brands like Elle and Lacoste are here too. Together with sporting goods, office supplies, and contemporary Chinese furniture, the shopping center also houses stores that sell household appliances, electronics and audio-visual goods. It’s located at 6 South ZunYi Road. Phone: 6270 0000
International Shopping Center: It can be found at the junction of Huaihai Middle Road and Chengdu Road. This massive sprawl of floor space is made up of 4,000 shops, restaurants, entertainment arcades and offices. Its intricate layout of interweaving paths, small stores housed within larger ones and a smattering of small gardens makes this a complex and fascinating place to shop. In this shopping centre you can find amusement arcades, food plazas, boutique stores and restaurants serving sumptuous cuisines of every variety. This is also a good place to do your duty-free shopping.
Isetan: This is a fashionable Japanese department store with high prices. It also offers its own bakery and an Esprit boutique in the heart of Huaihai Lu’s most upscale shopping area. Daily 10am to 9pm. Located at Huaihai Zhong Lu 527 at Chengdu Lu. Also located at Westgate Mall.
Nextage Department Store: This is the second largest department store in the world (second only to Macy’s in New York). The Japanese supermarket Yaohan is also here. Daily 10am to 10pm. Directly across the street (south) is another big shopping mall, Times Square tel. 5836-8888), as if another were needed. Nextage is located at Zhangyang Lu 501, at Pudong Nan Lu.
Orient Shopping Center: This is another Shanghai shopping center that has virtually everything a shopper might want. There is a children’s play area is where the kids can keep busy while the parents get down to the business of shopping. Located at 8 Caoxibei Lu; phone: 6487 0000.
Parkson Shopping Center: This large store is located on the fashionable Huaihai Road. This is shopping heaven for women — from nail care to beauty products, from lingerie to sportswear and jewelry, it is all at Parkson. You can find Parkson Shopping Centre at 918 Huaihai Middle Road. Tel: 5257 4518
Raffles City: Since it is located across from People’s Square, it draws large multitudes of shoppers. There’s a cineplex showing Chinese and occasional Hollywood films, an IMAX theatre, a fitness center, and retail shops ranging from local outfits to international names like Nike, Guess, and Swatch, but it’s the many dining establishments (Starbucks, Haagen-Dazs, a popular bakery called Bread Talk, and an excellent food court called Megabite) that are the main draw. Daily 10am to 10pm. Located at Xizang Zhong Lu 268.
Shanghai Centre: Expats will feel at home here with Starbucks, Mrs. Field’s, and Tony Roma’s Restaurant, as well as the Portman Ritz-Carlton Hotel, a supermarket with the city’s widest selection of Western groceries, and offices for half a dozen international airlines — all in the same complex. The shopping is among the most upscale in Shanghai, with such outlets as Cerruti, Louis Vuitton, and Cartier. Shop and office hours vary, but many are open daily from 10am to 6pm. Located at Nanjing Xi Lu 1376.
Shanghai First Department Store: Welcome to a Mao-era department store. It is similar to a warehouse market that is massive in area and has over 1,000 counters, dealing in over 40,000 kinds of goods of 60 categories. It is the largest single store in Shanghai and registers more foot traffic and volume of business than any other store in the country. It’s located on 830 East Nanjing Road.
Super Brand Mall: This is the largest mall in Pudong. The anchor is a four-story department store with all the usual super goods. There are many clothing, jewelry, and accessories stores, as well as dining establishments competing for your attention. Daily 10am to 10pm. Located at Lujiazui Lu 168, near the Oriental Tower.
Three on the Bund: This is a very expensive, but classy, shopping building on the Bund. It has the Giorgio Armani flagship store, and other not-too-shabby mouthfuls such as Bottega Veneta, Vivienne Tam, Yves Saint Laurent, and more. Daily 10am to 10pm. Located at Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu 3.
Westgate Mall: This is one of the most popular malls in Shanghai. They have all the big names, such as Haagan Daaz, Isetan, Giovanni Valentino, Ermenegildo Zegna, and Burberry. The spacious mall is designed in a contemporary style but has borrowed much from the classical. Located on 12F Westgate Tower, 1038 West Nanjing Road. Phone: +86 21 6218 7878
Xujiahui Commercial City covers an area of 1.2 square kilometers. The city includes Oriental Trade Mansion, Pacific Department Store, Huijin Department Store, Sixth Department Store, Zhongxing Department Store, Huilian Trade Mansion, Bailaohui, Xinluda Department Store. Located in the Xujiahui District.
Shopping Streets
In addition to the shopping centers and large stores mentioned above, expats will enjoy walking along the shopping promenades listed below:
- Dongtai Road is a handicraft market with special features and deals mainly the classic handicrafts including ceramics, jade, bronze and wood articles, paintings, calligraphic works, writing brushes, ink sticks, paper and ink slabs and others. This market has got its name at home and abroad.
- Flower and Bird Market on Jiangyin Road is the largest of its kind in Shanghai, and the market is 200 meters long and boasts 100 stands. Local people come to appreciate flowers, birds, worms and plants on their holidays.
- Fuzhou Road is famous as a cultural street for 100-year-old bookstores and stationery shops. Today it still boasts more than 30 bookstores such as Chinese Science and Technology Bookstore and Foreign Language Bookstore.
- Huaihai Road is as famous as Nanjing Road for its tourist and shopping street. This street boasts some 400 stores and shops. The exterior appearance and interior layout of buildings demonstrate a strong cultural flavor of a city, selling exquisite goods in the world.
- Nanjing Road is famous as the first shopping street in China and the busiest shopping center in Shanghai. It boasts more than 600 shops including old shops, famous shops and shops with distinctive features. The Pedestrian-Only Nanjing Road has become the largest round the clock shopping center in the city, in the country and even in Asia.
