Shanghai is known as one of the shopping paradises of China. Whether you’re looking for local specialties or international brand names, you'll be sure to find them here.
Nánjīng Lù(南京路) i
s the most famous and most popular shopping street in Shanghai. With over a million visitors every day, it’s considered to be one of the busiest streets in the world. The street is divided into two parts: East Nanjing Road and West Nanjing Road. The eastern part of the street, stretching out from the Bund and into Huangpu District, is home to the city’s oldest retail outlets and plenty of local specialty shops. The western part of the street begins at People's Square and continues up to Jing'an District. There you will find more luxurious boutiques.
Another famous shopping street is Huáihǎi Lù (淮海路), which consists of various stores, shops and department stores. It features top-end designer brands from all over the world. Some refer to it as the Avenue des Champs-Elysées of China.
If you don’t find what you’re looking for in the stores, you can go to a tailor market such as the Shanghai South Bund Fabric Market (南外滩轻纺面料市场;Nán wàitān qīng fǎng miànliào shìchǎng)and the Shanghai Shiliu Puhong Qixiang Cloth Market. A dressmaker can make pretty much anything you want, usually in less than a week. If you can, bring a Chinese friend with you, especially if you want to get the best price, or have something complicated made.
China is famous for its fake markets. The two most well-known ones in Shanghai are 580 Nanjing Xi Lu （南京西路580号；Nánjīng xi lù 580 hào）and Science and Technology Museum Market（上 海科技馆；Shànghǎi kējì guan）. Here you can find cheaper imitations of brand-name clothes, shoes, accessories, etc. If you are looking for electronics, it’s better to go to Metro City Mall（美罗 城；Měi luō chéng. They have 4 stories full of cell phones, iPods, MP3 players, cameras, TVs, DVD players and other electronic gadgets here. Never pay the first price they offer; you can normally bargain the price down to 5 times cheaper.
If you want to buy souvenirs, you should go to the Yuyuan Garden Bazaar. Keep in mind that it can get really crowded during the weekends or holidays. However, everywhere there is mass-produced, so if you're looking for something more unique, go elsewhere. But the good thing is that you can haggle the price down extremely low, if you’re good at bargaining of course. You can also go to Duōlún Lù (多伦路), which is smaller and less crowded. Here, there are many souvenirs stalls as well as antique shops and art galleries, so make sure to enjoy the beautiful architecture while shopping.