If shopping is your leisurely desire, Shanghai is your city. Across the street from the shopping mall is a shopping mall and across from that shopping mall is another shopping mall! Until arrival in Shanghai, I never knew it’d be possible to have more shopping malls than Starbucks. With the typical shopping malls being overpriced and oversized, I turned my attention to other means by which to spend my money.
There are two shopping centers that stick out thus far. The first location sat tucked away, hidden from foreigners, but definitely no secret to the natives. The blurry picture which I hastily took when no one was looking contains the dollar store to end all dollar stores. Contained within one building of five floors is everything and anything you’d ever find in a dollar store and more. Whatever floor space wasn’t occupied by shops was filled up with shoppers. With no intent of carrying around random dollar store goods for the rest of the day I moved on without purchasing anything.
A few days later the money in my pocket requested to change hands. The second location would be there to lend a helping hand. Sitting just between the exit to the metro and the stairs to the ground level of the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum sits a massive market of easily two hundred small shops. Most notable of the shops is the collection of tailors who will custom make shirts, pants, and suits. For roughly $150 two pant/jacket suits can be purchased and picked up within a day. Since my bargaining skills are not yet up to par yet, I got suckered into $125 for one suit which is thankfully still a good price by American standards. If I decide to return again for more suits I will not become a sucker a second time.
Lesson learned: While not accepted in America, bargaining is fair game and can put some money back in your pocket.
