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Hong Kong shopping
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Delay No Mall |
Delay No Mall opened last December, transforming a previously
untouched corner of Causeway Bay into a two-story shopping center
loaded with personality.
Commissioning local artists to create displays, and featuring
exclusive brands found only under their roof, the mall was an
ambitious undertaking. Fast forward to today, Delay No Mall is
closed, the large space being subdivided and re-purposed.
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My Checker Box (capsule toys for adults) |
An updated, more stylish version of the “compartment store” has
recently arrived. My Checker Box, located just a block away from
Elizabeth House in Causeway Bay, provides a shopping thrill similar
to browsing capsule toys.
My Checker Box’s ground floor location, rare for this sort of shop,
is a large 1900 square feet. Instead of a single owner, compartment
shops typically rent out small cases of varying sizes to potentially
over 100 different want-to-be retailers. The interior of the store
includes modifiable compartments so that renters can create a
tailored fit for their inventory. It’s up to the individual tenant
what kind of merchandise they’d like to sell in their box.
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A special place for cold-blooded friends |
was walking along Cannon Street in Causeway Bay (known for pet
stores and Vietnamese restaurants,) when I spotted a new shop. There
was a small crowd gathered out front peering through the windows.
What was the attraction?
If you looked closely in the first window there was a chameleon
semi-camouflaged, blending in with the fake leaves in its enclosure.
In the second window there were three large lizards slithering
around on the ground as a female staff member attended to them. A
few medium-sized turtles were also in the mix.
No, wise-guy, this wasn’t the opening of an exotic burger joint! The
shop, Reptile Corner, is a clear standout among the other pet stores
in the neighborhood.
I’m not sure why, but certain people find reptiles irresistible as
pets. Perhaps it has something to do with our love of dinosaurs?
It’s not just guys buying reptiles either. There seems to be equal
interest from both men and women. A girl I know used to have a large
lizard and would take it on outings to Repulse Bay beach! (I
wouldn’t want to be the one laying there when that thing slithered
up!)
There was enough action in the front window alone to keep me outside
on the pavement. I didn’t go in for a closer look, so I’m not sure
whether their stock also includes snakes, another reptile.
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A flagship for champagne? Moët Bar Macau |
Friday night for the first time I took the new ferry directly to the
Cotai strip in Macau. This recently developed area is home to
several new attractions, the most prominent being the massive
Venetian complex.
Arriving at night, the new route lacks the dramatic view of the
older Jetfoil, but it’s a more direct option if you’re headed to
Taipa. My destination for the night was the Moet Bar which recently
opened in the brand new DFS Galleria Macau, part of The Shoppes at
the Four Seasons. The sprawling network of buildings is actually all
connected to the Venetian.
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The return of Dusty |
Long before CLOT and Silly Thing popped up on the international
street wear radar, Hong Kong was already home to several urban
brands. For those who don’t know, Dusty is a local clothing company
with a long pedigree. These guys have been doing their thing way
before most of Hong Kong caught on. I’m talking about nearly a
decade of bringing cool brands to the city and doing collaborations
with underground artists from all over the world.
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Exploring Hong Kong’s sample stores |
Being located at the foot of the world’s foremost clothing producer
has its benefits. While shopping in Hong Kong offers a cornucopia of
brands, there are even more choices tucked away on side streets
around the city. In fact, almost every major neighborhood in Hong
Kong has some sort of store selling factory samples at a fraction of
their normal retail price. If you derive pleasure from uncovering
hidden treasures, then sample store hunting is for you!
Let’s get the definition of a sample store straight. I’m not talking
about outlet stores that feature one brand, or the stock from one
chain. We have those too. I’m talking about clothing that seemingly
fell off the truck! The stores that sell this type of clothing put
little to no effort into decor and the clothes are casually,
sometimes neatly strewn about
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Welcome to… The Denim Zone |
Strolling through the third floor of the IFC mall, I was surprised
to see the denim brands: Evisu, 7 For All Mankind, True Religion,
and Lucky Brand Jeans, all occupying the same corner of the shopping
center. In a pamphlet nearby I read that this area is dubbed the
‘Denim Zone‘.
In Hong Kong you traditionally have similar businesses clustered
together in the same district. This means that lighting stores will
be next to lighting stores, restaurant suppliers next to restaurant
suppliers, sneakers shops next to sneaker shops, fabric stores next
to fabric stores and so forth.
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Hong Kong Travel Information
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