Trip to Shanghai Day 4

Yup.. It’s our fourth day of 7D6N trip in Shanghai, China..

You can read our first 3 day adventures on my previous posts.

Day 1 here

Day 2 here

Day 3 here

6th Aug 2013

Day 4, hubby busy visited some friends, but he still had time to accompany me in the morning for shopping day to Qi Pu Lu Clothing Market..

Outfit of the day:
Tube top from Bebe
Black Shorts from Mango
Shoes from Anna Nucci
Bag from Nine West
Shades from C&K

Going to take mrt..

Qipu Lu — “cheap” street — is a series of malls crammed, jammed, and stuffed full of cheap, cheap, cheap clothes, with some fakes for good measure. It’s ground zero for young local shoppers, and pretty much hell for everyone else. Aggressive touts, swarms of humanity, and so, so, so much crap clothing. If you’ve gotta come — for halloween costumes, or a masochistic shopping streak — early weekday mornings are the easiest.

Qipu Lu is probably the closest one can get to a wholesale clothes market in Shanghai other than going to the factories themselves. Qipu Lu is famous for its clothes, shoes, accessories, bags, swimwear and jewelry which are all very affordable. There are three shopping malls, on each corner of an intersection of Qipu Lu, each with about 4-5 stories of shops, all filled with trendy and fashionable made-in-China clothing.

There are two building linked each other, the new building with aircon which is nearest to train station and there are another one old building without aircon which selling wholesale items.. Both building are structured as follows:~ Basement: Shoes and replicas of branded wallets and bags
~ 1st level: Very messy level full of clothes, accessories and cosmetics. On this level you can bargain to slash up to 70% off the original price.
~ 2nd level: Clothes are a little more presentable on this level and a little more unique. As a result, one’s bargaining power decreases a little though you can still slash 50% off the original price. This level also retails a lot more local designer wear. You can tell by the neater and more elaborate shop decorations; some even with black chandeliers and floor rugs.
~ 3rd & 4th level: On this level you can find the best replicas of Japanese brands and other brands. The quality of the clothes here on the 3rd and 4th levels is usually better than those on the lower levels. Bargaining power however decreases to the least on this level. Slash 30% off the original price.
If you know how to bargain, this wholesale market is a treasure trove and one of the cheapest places to buy clothes, accessories and shoes.

Tips to shop at Qipu Lu:
1. Do go early however as it closes at 5.30pm.

2. Weekdays morning is the best time to go, usually when they open the shop and you are their first buyer they will give you good price, because Chinese believe the first buyer will “bring luck” for they whole day.
3. Show maximum disinterest in the product you are asking for. If you look very keen, they know that you want it and will not hesitate to raise the price. 4. Bargaining is a must, and you should be prepared to bargain hard. The fact is whatever price you give at the start will still be rejected as too low, so start low (e.g. how much you think it is really worth). Remember, the higher your starting price, the more you have to pay eventually!
As a general rule of thumb, one should start bargaining at 1/4 of the price quoted and try to walk away if they are picky with the prices. If your quoted price is not too far off the mark, they usually will beckon you back. If they ignore you, it means the price quoted is too low (loss-making). If you really like the piece, walk back and add 10/20RMB to your original price. But fret not, the shops carry more or less the same items so if you are diligent enough you can find it in another shop. Honor the price if you do win the bargain.

Qipu Lu Clothing Market

I found shops on old building of Qi Pu Lu slightly cheaper than those shops on new building of Qi Pu Lu.. But most of vendor of old one will not allow you to bargain unless you buy bulk, because their price based on wholesale market.

Anyway i found shop there is really fun, i found it similar like taobao, but it’s the real one, you may touch and see directly. Well i bought lots of clothes “kawaii” style bcoz they sell lots of Japanese brand clothes such as Ray Cassin and those design you able to browse on japanese magazine. And they also selling lots of zakka style design, if you know what i mean, those loose cotton clothing, very comfortable and japanese usually wear it, mix and match with those cardigan or shawl. Well but it’s totally not my style haha..

I really plan to buy an additional luggage before we even fly to Shanghai, because i need luggage with hardcase and TSA lock.. Well actually i dun care whether it’s real or replica branded luggage, as long as the colour i like and design very nice.. Btw, I bought one in shocking ‘PINK’ colour, bcos i told to my hubby it’s easy to find luggage in the conveyor belt when it’s very “fancy” and different colour than common black or red luggage.

Our lunch nearby market, small noodle stall, and i had my beef noodle..

And my hubby had his chicken noodle with veggie..

After came back from Qi Pu Lu while hubby meet his friends, i was enjoying myself in hotel browsing taobao and online shopping.. Hotel lobby having few PCs with internet for guests. But in China, we cannot access facebook and even blogger! T.T so.. i miss blogging so much and updating status online.. And some other social media or web also are not accessible..

And had dinner with hubby to restaurant nearby our hotel.. It’s steamboat restaurant.. But.. We were not having steamboat on that time, just had a simple dinner.. Well in Shanghai, we really eat lots of veggie everyday, and i love their preserved or pickled vegetable.. 🙂