Ugg boots in Beijing and shopping in Beijing
 

My wife and I will be in Beijing for our first time next week.Silly question but is there a location to purchase UGG boots in Beijing? Family members have requested we purchase them there. Broader question how is the shopping there and what can we expect? Thanks for any feedback.

Real ones?

I find that for brand names, it's rarely cheaper in China. When you can catch a sale in the US, it's probably cheaper.

Unless they are made in China, in which case you might be able to find some production over-runs at a good knock-off shop, they will be considerably more in China.

I thought production over-runs was an urban legend. Can you provide any anecdotes? I would be interested in hearing what the item(s) was/(were) and where the shop was located.

Ugg boots are all made in China.

I think they moved production there around 07-08.

They hit big because of Pam Anderson, then she found out they
were actually made of fur.:p

I'm getting rid of our Uggs — I feel so guilty for that craze being started around Baywatch days — I used to wear them with my red swim suit to keep warm — never realizing that they were SKIN!"

She bought them down at the store at Trancas Cyn and PCH...

Koolaburra are made in Australia.

I've been working with companies, both American and Chinese, doing business in China for for 18 years. I know of a number of specific instances that were the subject of litigation in which I was involved. The typical scenario involves a company ordering x thousand units, the factory runs x+y thousand units, and y thousand units go out the back door under the supervision of the factory manager.

This is not to say that the scenario is common, or that the problem is increasing. Quite the opposite. However, anyone doing business in China needs to understand the country really well to minimize the risks.

Generally the Chinese factories wouldn't know Ugg from Slug.
At least its common in the fashion industry for the buyers
to get hefty kick backs. So they manipulate the agents
and that accounts for overruns.

A common factory has no means to move more products
than are on order. So it falls back to shady dealings on the buyer side.

In Beijing, real UGG boots can be purchased at their authorized store at the Solana shopping mall, which is by Chaoyang Park and about a mile east of the East Third Ring Road (Westin Chaoyang and Kempinski Hotel areas). They will not be cheap. It is the same story for all GENUINE branded goods here--do not expect bargains for the real thing, and when you find bargains, they won't be real.

Most anywhere else in Beijing, and especially markets, may have fake UGGs--do not believe anybody who tells you they are "real factory overruns." Even if there were real factory overruns around, you most likely wouldn't have access to them through the secret channels.

Whether genuine or fake, UGG's are fugly.

The fake ones are pretty high quality anyway.
They differ a lot between stalls though.

You can get them at really low prices, like RMB 110 or less.
Of course, the starting price is high.

Would the OP be able to distinguish between a real UGG and a not real one?

I hate it when friends ask me to purchase something that I am not familiar with because in the end, I get ripped off.

As a previous poster mentioned, when you go from stall to stall, it seems like all the styles are identical but if you look carefully, you see minute differences in stiching and material.

After spending an afternoon shopping for my nieces, I was told there are a few things that define real vs fake Uggs
1) the ensignia on the bottom is recessed, with the sun logo raised inside - if its flat, its fake
2) look for the hologram on the box and inside the boot.
3) the accompanying booklet is white paper, with a silver Ugg logo
4) they are not Ugg Australia brand if they say they are made in Australia or NZ -- the oddity being real Ugg boots are from Australia and Ugg Australia boots are made in China -- God forbid I slip them an EMU boot! :)

All Ugg labeled boots for sale in Beijing, except at the above listed authorized store, are
counterfeit.

Here's a good guide to determine authenticity.

http://reviews.ebay.com/HOW-TO-TELL-...00000003850686

There are decent quality boots available at a good price, just have
to inspect them and make an educated guess. Sticking a one cent
Ugg label on the back gives the merchant a possibility of selling
at about 5 times what they would get without it.