Shopping capital a cut above (hktdc.com)


	Langham Place Mall is just one of the innovative shopping precincts for which Hong Kong is famous

	A staggering 144 million people have visited apm Millennium City since the mall opened in 2005

Hong Kong has long been synonymous with shopping, and a sure sign of the prosperous times enjoyed during the decade since Handover* is the increasing sophistication of the retail experience.

Never before have so many designer brands, such diverse spending choices and seemingly endless hours to shop been bundled together in one easily accessible city.

Consider the facts: in Hong Kong, shoppers can choose from more luxury brands than any Asian city outside of Japan. The swish retail district of Central has been called "the 5th Ave of the Far East" by fashion luminary Suzy Menkes, Fashion Editor, the International Herald Tribune. For brands this means extreme exposure not only to the Hong Kong domestic market but also throughout Greater China. As UK luxury department chain owner Dr Dickson Poon noted on the September 2005 opening in Hong Kong of Asia's first Harvey Nichols store: "We consider Hong Kong to be the ideal launch place for the first Harvey Nichols in Asia because Hong Kong has a most sophisticated and strong local consumer base, attracts tourists from all over the world, and serves as the window of the world for mainland Chinese consumers."

Decade of growth

In 10 years Hong Kong has established itself as a global fashion capital, with names like Prada, Armani, Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Hermes, Yves St Laurent, Ermenegildo Zegna, Dolce & Gabbana and more all building flagship stores. The city's home-grown upmarket fashion store, Lane Crawford, offers the largest collection of international designer and contemporary brands in Greater China.

Adrian Lee, Assistant Director of Great Eagle Holdings which owns the swank Langham Place Mall in Mongkok, says international retailers "quite rightly" use Hong Kong as their showcase to the Chinese mainland. "They gain brand recognition, and once these labels are established in Hong Kong, it's a much easier sell when they enter the mainland," Mr Lee said.

Increasingly affluent mainland tourists account for around half of all visitors to Hong Kong, with 3.77 million arriving in the first three months of this year. Hong Kong Tourism Board research shows these mainland visitors usually put shopping as their priority, as the city offers them a better choice of brands and cheaper prices.

Innovative malls

Once here, these brands are housed in style with the city developing some of the most innovative retail infrastructure in the world. Permanent fixtures such as children's playgrounds, ice-skating rinks and bowling alleys have temporary attractions of ever-increasing sophistication, from food fairs and live performances to sporting events. As Tony Tsui, Hutchison Whampoa Property's Deputy Managing Director notes: "People used to go to shopping malls for a specific purpose. Today, the mall is much more a place for leisure and relaxation. It's part of the lifestyle."

Cutting edge designs include Langham Place Mall, with its funky dome-shaped roof that turns on a spectacular light show at night. MegaBox in Kowloon Bay was designed for Kerry Properties by Californian retail architect Jon Jerde, the name behind some of the world's most innovative shopping malls including Mall of America in Minnesota, the largest shopping centre in the US, along with Canal City Hakata and Roppongi Hills in Japan. Opening soon, MegaBox boasts Hong Kong's first international size ice rink, the first IMAX theatre, an all-season theme park, over 30 restaurants and a vast collection of stores.

From upmarket The Landmark and ifc mall in Central to the specialty boutiques of Causeway Bay, from emerging mega-malls in Kowloon to traditional Chinese markets, Hong Kong offers a shopping experience for everyone.

Cutting edge

And the "firsts" keep on coming. apm Millennium City, developed by Sun Hung Kai Properties in East Kowloon, pioneered the concept of shopping till midnight, and was the first to include toilet cubicles with TVs. Its 11 floors are bustling with action, targeting a young, predominantly female clientele "to see and be seen".

Since its opening in March 2005, a staggering 144 million people have visited amp mall. Maureen Fung, General Manager (Leasing) of Sun Hung Kai Real Estate Agency Limited, said the aim was to break the traditional mall mould and build "the trendiest shopping spot in Kowloon East".

"Although Hong Kong is reputed for its wide range of retail offerings, its malls everywhere seemed to have the same look and feel," Ms Fung said. "apm, true to its mission of creating a new concept in retailing, has proven that, given careful planning and original promotional ideas, a shopping mall can readily be transformed from a mere place into a young and successful brand that spells fun and excitement."

Fashion firsts

Sun Hung Kai Properties is developing a trendy new leisure and retail precinct in Causeway Bay called wtcmore, and is soon to open the innovative Elements. Offering one million square foot of retail heaven, Elements will be the largest shopping mall in Hong Kong and feature a mix of high end brands with High Street. Its fashion "firsts" introduce even more international brands to Hong Kong, among them Mulberry, Karen Miller, Pringle and Luella. Watch out also for the aromatic garden, double-storey shop fronts and the concept of "metropolitanism meets Chinese wisdom", where the mall is zoned according to the five elements of gold, wood, water, fire and earth.

Elements is due to open in October. With a 12-screen cinema complex, ice staking rink and Hong Kong's biggest martini bar, one can but sigh: "only in Hong Kong.What's next?"

* "The Handover" refers to Hong Kong's return from British to Chinese rule on July 1, 1997.