Originally Posted by
jiejie
I also do not buy fakes and don't give a rosy rat's @ss if people look down upon me for having no designer items or "designer" items. When I need something good quality at a reasonable price, I go to a middle-class or upper-middle class department store like Lanbao (Blue Island) and look for a solid Chinese brand. These won't be market cheap, but are usually built solidly and can be good value especially if a sale is going on. I've bought coats, purses, and household goods there that several years on, are still going strong. Not sure who's out in Haidian that is similar to a Landao, but bound to be something. You have a Parkson's out there? Places like Ritan Office Building (actually a collection of boutique stores near the south gate of Ritan Park) can have nice quality things at mid-range prices, and are more "chic" than the department stores. All these sorts of places don't bargain as per the markets, but if buying several items, it's always OK to ask if there are any "special discounts" going on that day.
Useful and good to know. Not familiar with the stores you mention, but I've almost stopped looking for signs in English, so perhaps don't even notice if they are there. My wife is looking forward to a visit to the US, and I think she's going there with an empty suitcase to fill up...
However, for myself: I like well-crafted/made goods. My (perhaps incorrect) reasoning, is that since labour is cheaper here, things that are expensive in the west (i.e. handmade) should be less expensive here, other things (e.g. raw materials) being equal. A good example is truly bespoke suits. But even here, I've heard one really needs to look out for fake quality/brand cloth etc, and that quality isn't that great in the craftsmanship (not tried it out yet myself). But having said that, if one finds a tailor one likes, should get a decent suit for well under half the price of UK. But that is still no Yaxiou bargain.
tb