When researching where to buy just about anything computer-related, most people head for Sham Shui Po, home of the famous Golden Shopping Centre, and Apliu Street Markets.
And yes, this is one choice and the most extensive collection of specialist shops, but it's far from the only one.
Now, for the latest visit to HK, I planned to visit the three others recommended by several local friends; they are.
Before moving on to these centres, a few things need to be understood before visiting just about any shopping centre, no matter what you are looking for.
First, the opening hours are not the same as you will be used to in most places outside of Asia, where shops generally open around 9am and close around 5 pm.
In HK and some other places I have visited in Asia, most shops tend to open later in the day, with between 10am and 11am being the most common.
While this may sound annoying when I first visited HK back in the day, it was a real surprise, but I eventually got used to it.
It's not that shops have short days, quite the reverse; while they open later, they also close later; some that I visited stayed open until 10 pm.
Trust me, visit a shopping centre at, for example, 9 pm, and you will find it buzzing.
Next comes the language barrier, not that I think this is a real problem, but I have had some interesting experiences with other customers going full Karen on the staff for not speaking perfect English, or in one case, perfect American.
The first thing anyone needs to do is treat the staff respectfully; they want to sell you product, and the majority do not want to rip you off.
I have had positive experiences in shops and market stalls, where the level of English is basically non-existent; you can be understood with pointing, Google Translate, patience and the icebreaker to end all icebreakers, a smile.
Now, moving on to the prices. In the past, it was assumed that going shopping in HK, mainland China, Singapore, etc, there were bargains everywhere.
It all depends on what you are looking for; from my recent trips to Singapore, I found the prices for computer technology to be similar to those back home in Sydney. In general, I have found the prices in Hong Kong to be lower than Singapore, and in many cases, way cheaper than back home.
Not to say you cannot find any good deals, but you will, and I did have to hunt for them. For example, on my last visit, I found USB memory sticks were much cheaper than back home.
Just remember to research before going shopping, get some reference prices from home and if possible, local stores. You will not regret doing that, and you never know, it may save you some money.
Then comes haggling, in some of the smaller stores, this is basically expected and can be enjoyable for both parties, and is one way to get a bargain.
Note, I said haggle; just be realistic; if you lowball, you are more likely not to get the deal you are looking for. Remember, not all staff can haggle; others may not like it or just be having a bad day.
Yes, repeating myself, treat the staff with respect, and bargains can be had.
One thing that anyone shopping for technology in Hong Kong or just about anywhere else is the warranty question.
This is a mess, with some vendors providing international warranty cover, whereas others do not. The ones I am aware of are Apple, Samsung, Sandisk and Nikon, who, as far as I know, do not offer anything usable. Please correct me if you know better.
On the plus side, every shop I spoke to about this was very above board and warned me about this problem. Now, while these stores warned me, be aware that not all may do the same.
It's highly recommended to check the vendor's website for international warranty information before looking to buy; in other words, be prepared to reduce the risk of any nasty surprises.
Finally, Fakes
Yes, there are fake products worldwide, and the usual precautions are all you need. Just remember, if someone comes up to you in the street trying to sell you a Rolex for $100, it's too good to be true and should be avoided.
BTW, people coming up to you selling copy watches is quite common on Nathan Road, although it's not as bad as it once was. Buyer beware.
I am totally paranoid about fakes, but being honest, other than the too good to be true cases, I have had more problems with eBay than tech shopping in HK, mainland China, and Singapore.
Before moving on to the tale of my visits to the shopping centres, it is time for a short rant.
One of my pet hates is pushy salespeople, as when you enter a store, the staff are on you and keep trying to sell you things, shoving products in your face.
The jade hawker market in Yau Ma Tei is one of the worst places for this sort of thing in Hong Kong; once, they even tried to grab my wallet, with no sign of security or police. Visit at your own risk. ☠️
And while this is the worst I have seen in Hong Kong, it's still not even close to what I have experienced in Kuala Lumpur, where in some stores the staff follow you around looking over your shoulder and will not just let you browse.
To be honest, I have not had this problem in any of the technology shopping centres or any of the larger stores.
This can be a problem if you are walking past some food places, although while it still happens, it is better than it used to be, with most taking no for an answer.
A message to these people, you push me, I DO NOT BUY
Now, with that out of the way, it is time to tell the tale of my visits to the various tech shopping centres I visited during multiple HK trips.
Update top
Since returning home and doing some additional research for this page, I found another one that even my local friends were not aware of; it's called Oriental 188, and it seems it's located just behind the 298 Computer Centre, interesting, and one for a future trip
And yes, it goes without saying, on this visit, I will be prepared and, hopefully, get photos inside all of these centres.
Then comes the big news: I finally visited Shenzhen and wow its changed in the 20+ years since I last visited. And yes, we all know that Shenzhen is the technology shopping capital of the world; read the full tale of the visit here and note the many lessons learned after the visit.