What's good to buy in China?

[fuzzybabybunny]

I'm in Shanghai right now. Over the past couple of weeks I haven't noticed any amazing deals on anything just like five years ago when I went. I'm at a Suning storr ans electronics like laptops and cell phones are just as expensive if not moreso than the US. An electric shaver of mine goes for $40 whereas it cost me $20 on Amazon. A $70 vacuum cleaner from Costco is selling for $200. Rent starts at $1000 a month for a single apartment in the city. Backpacks and camping gear are the same price and the Chinese name brands are a bit higher than what you would find in Walmart. These are from established department stores and I don't believe people bargain in these establishments, but I could be wrong.

Anything I should be looking out for? Food is decently cheap, about $3-5 a dish. But they're smaller so you order more and make up the difference. Square meter prices for housing are also very expensive.

 

[Fayd]

I'm in Shanghai right now. Over the past couple of weeks I haven't noticed any amazing deals on anything just like five years ago when I went. I'm at a Suning storr ans electronics like laptops and cell phones are just as expensive if not moreso than the US. An electric shaver of mine goes for $40 whereas it cost me $20 on Amazon. A $70 vacuum cleaner from Costco is selling for $200. Rent starts at $1000 a month for a single apartment in the city. Backpacks and camping gear are the same price and the Chinese name brands are a bit higher than what you would find in Walmart. These are from established department stores and I don't believe people bargain in these establishments, but I could be wrong.

Anything I should be looking out for? Food is decently cheap, about $3-5 a dish. But they're smaller so you order more and make up the difference. Square meter prices for housing are also very expensive.

you're shopping in the wrong area.

the places you find the good deals are the places where shopkeepers get nervous when police are around.

 

[God Mode]

Every city has one of those touristy/trendy areas. Prices of electronics seem to be the lowest in the US so enjoy good food, take pics and stop feeling compelled to buy material goods.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

I'm not compelled at all. More appalled than anything. But if I can get something like a good carbon fiber tripod or laptop for cheap, why not? I need those for work.

Edit: especially a nice ultralight laptop that's still powerful enough to handle video and photo processing.

 

[rchiu]

I'd look for something only available in China, like art/handicraft/antique, but again, you better be careful and know what your buying because there are many fake.

Electronic wise, guess what, US is the cheapest place around. I've been to many place in Asia, and it's expensive everywhere. unless you are willing to buy the black market version with no warranty, that you can get it cheaper

 

[Jaepheth]

Electronics cost more there than in the US.

I recommend filling out the silk branch of your wardrobe.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

I'd look for something only available in China, like art/handicraft/antique, but again, you better be careful and know what your buying because there are many fake.

Electronic wise, guess what, US is the cheapest place around. I've been to many place in Asia, and it's expensive everywhere. unless you are willing to buy the black market version with no warranty, that you can get it cheaper

Yeah, I've been to China, South Korea, and Japan too. US was by far cheaper. I was hoping that someone knew how to get better deals in China. It's hard to imagine with an average salary of ~4500 RMB a month or $750 that people could buy even like a laptop at prices like the US. It's crazy.

Any good Chinese brands that are cheaper than the major ones but just as good?

The income gap hear is ridiculous. It makes me sad. I've learned a lot these couple weeks. Taken some photos too. Need to create a blog.

 

[poohbear]

Lol why would u buy computer parts outside of the US? The US has the cheapest prices in the world for computers, hands down! Even my s
Samsung monitor costs less in the US than it does in S korea. Because yhe US is such a massive market and there's so much competition, they all undercut each other for the cheapest possible price. Gotta love that about the US. Just enjoy ur trip & buy souvenir type stuff unique to China (art, silk etc).

 

[T_Yamamoto]

If you aren't Chinese, you won't get the major discounts you are looking for.

 

[randomrogue]

I'm in Shanghai right now. Over the past couple of weeks I haven't noticed any amazing deals on anything just like five years ago when I went. I'm at a Suning storr ans electronics like laptops and cell phones are just as expensive if not moreso than the US. An electric shaver of mine goes for $40 whereas it cost me $20 on Amazon. A $70 vacuum cleaner from Costco is selling for $200. Rent starts at $1000 a month for a single apartment in the city. Backpacks and camping gear are the same price and the Chinese name brands are a bit higher than what you would find in Walmart. These are from established department stores and I don't believe people bargain in these establishments, but I could be wrong.

Anything I should be looking out for? Food is decently cheap, about $3-5 a dish. But they're smaller so you order more and make up the difference. Square meter prices for housing are also very expensive.

I couldn't find any deals on electronics. I doubt they exist anymore. Their prices were within 5% of USA prices.

Food and second hand clothes were the real steal over there. I bought t-shirts and pullovers for $1 and food is obviously dirt cheap.

 

[Agenesis]

North America remains to be the cheapest to buy electronics in the world, but you can often find some good deals at mom and pop shops if you look around. The department stores you're looking at is famous for firm prices and price gouging. The locals doesn't really shop there and only the foreigners do.

Clothing is undoubtedly the cheapest in china and you can find a ton of nice quality clothing at low prices, assuming if you aren't massive into the 6'3"+ area, lol.

And the food is also cheap and delicious, none of these bulk frozen stuff you find here.

 

[BladeVenom]

Tiger penis

 

[rchiu]

Yeah, I've been to China, South Korea, and Japan too. US was by far cheaper. I was hoping that someone knew how to get better deals in China. It's hard to imagine with an average salary of ~4500 RMB a month or $750 that people could buy even like a laptop at prices like the US. It's crazy.

Any good Chinese brands that are cheaper than the major ones but just as good?

The income gap hear is ridiculous. It makes me sad. I've learned a lot these couple weeks. Taken some photos too. Need to create a blog.

Haier, changhong, tcl are some major Chinese electronic brands, but I wouldn't say they are just as good as major brands. Me personally would not touch those brands. Computer stuff wise, most are made by Taiwanese and assembled there, like Acer, Asus, MSI...etc. They have their Lenovo though, but either way, you will find much better deals in the US on computer stuff.

Yeah Chinese have low average salary, but they have huge population, and their 1%'er is like 40% of the entire US population, so the market for electronics is still there. And in Asia, exactly because the income gap is huge, companies selling luxury stuff has no incentive to have deals all the time. Only rich can afford those stuff anyway, and those rich are filthy rich and they are more interested in the status symbol than 50% off.

Yeah income gap situation in China and other developing Asian countries like India, Philippines, Indonesia is pretty sad. People in the US cry about the bad economy and income gap, but if you travel around, you'd see that US qualify of life is so much better than that of a great majority of countries out there.

 

[Zeze]

I ALWAYS hear getting suits tailored in China is amazing and cheap, and ATOT always flock to say this.

Is this no longer true?

 

[WaTaGuMp]

Is stuff in China made in the USA?

 

[poohbear]

If you aren't Chinese, you won't get the major discounts you are looking for.

Because there are none. They can't compete with the market in america especially for the reliable brands (corsair, g. skill, asus etc). Most computer stuff is FROM the US or Taiwan, but even Taiwan the prices were'nt cheaper than USA.

 

[sdifox]

I hear they have population surplus. Maybe a servant?

 

[Jeffg010]

Getting good prices are long gone. From what I read back in the day late 80's and early 90's was the boom for cheap electronics in those countries, not any more.

 

[SagaLore]

I'm in Shanghai right now. Over the past couple of weeks I haven't noticed any amazing deals on anything just like five years ago when I went.

Hold on.

It was supposed to be a family trip with the parents and following them around. It's their first time in 27 years going back to China. So I got all visa and plane ticket for 2 months purchased. Couple days ago parents told me they won't get their visa so I'm now on an unplanned trip with no direction and no idea how to get anywhere. I don't read or write Chinese, and I can't speak it well at all.

This just keeps getting more and more confusing. Fuzzy, if you didn't go with your parents last time, who did you go with?


To answer your question, don't buy electronics in China. If you plan on traveling to close by countries while over there, wait until you get to Bangkok. Not only can you get electronics a little cheaper, but they sell models of stuff (like cameras!) that is at least a year ahead of what we get here in the US.

 

[Phokus]

why the fuck are electronics more expensive in china, makes no sense.

 

[sdifox]

why the fuck are electronics more expensive in china, makes no sense.

Because you don't get to walk into Foxconn and buy an iphone 5 :biggrin:

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Hold on.




This just keeps getting more and more confusing. Fuzzy, if you didn't go with your parents last time, who did you go with?


To answer your question, don't buy electronics in China. If you plan on traveling to close by countries while over there, wait until you get to Bangkok. Not only can you get electronics a little cheaper, but they sell models of stuff (like cameras!) that is at least a year ahead of what we get here in the US.

I was 20 and went on a business school college field trip. Basically sat on tour buses all day. Worst way to see a country.

 

[rsutoratosu]

Because there are none. They can't compete with the market in america especially for the reliable brands (corsair, g. skill, asus etc). Most computer stuff is FROM the US or Taiwan, but even Taiwan the prices were'nt cheaper than USA.

True, my friend in taiwan and hk for 2 weeks, everything cost more than US, end up not buying any electronics

 

[DaWhim]

i am in shanghai too. I usually joke to people that the only real goods you will get are fake ones.

computer and clothes here are expensive. the only cheap thing (at least cheap to me) are foods and transportation.

 

[rchiu]

why the fuck are electronics more expensive in china, makes no sense.

Well you have to thank Amazon and all those big online distributor direct to consumer companies. They cut off the middleman and do huge volume. Sure in the process they kill off mom and pop shops, even B&M stores. But they brought you low prices and immediate notice when they have a sale.

China/Asia is still operating mostly in the mom and pop shop mode, plus maybe a few larger B&M stores. Not so much online shopping, especially not big ticket items.

Since all electronic are made in China anyway and shipping by container is cheap. So China really doesn't have much cost advantage.