Shopping in Shanghai - Best Streets & What to Buy

What to Buy in Shanghai - ​🛍️ Fashion & Trendy Designs

1. Pop Mart (泡泡玛特) – Blind Box Collectibles
Shanghai’s obsession! Hunt for ​Dimoo, Skull Panda, or The Monsters series at their flagship stores (Huaihai Road, Xujiahui).

2. Fashion Brands

• ​BM (Brandy Melville-style) – Cute, girly fits (Anfu Road)
• ​SMFK (Streetwear Edge) – Destroyed sneakers & oversized hoodies
• ​Uma Wang (Minimalist Luxury) – High-end linen & draped silhouettes

3. Gentle Monster (GM) Glasses Avant-garde eyewear with artistic store designs (Xintiandi, IAPM Mall).

Credit: Unsplash, Chris Nagahama

4. Disney’s LinaBell (琳娜贝尔) Plushies
Find them at:

• ​Chuansha Disney Store (浦东川沙)
• ​Pudong Airport T2 / Hongqiao Airport

5. Silk & Custom Qipao (旗袍) 📍 South Bund Fabric Market – Bargain for tailor-made silk dresses.

6. Brut Cake Ceramics (Anfu Road) Hand-painted mugs & quirky home decor.

What to Buy in Shanghai - ​🍰 Shanghai Sweets & Pastries

Credit: Bethy's Shanghai Friend, Jiajing. | Butter Rice Cake (黄油年糕) I think 85°C bakes the Best 黄油年糕

1. 85°C / 读酥世家 (Dusu Home) – Butter Rice Cake (黄油年糕)
A chewy, buttery delight that melts in your mouth. Perfect with tea!

2. 沈大成 (Shen Dacheng) – Salted Egg Yolk & Pork Floss Qingtuan (咸蛋黄肉松青团)
A seasonal must-have – sticky green rice dough stuffed with rich salted egg yolk and savory pork floss.

3. 国际饭店 (International Hotel) – Classic Shanghai Pastries
📍 Nanjing West Road

• ​Butterfly Puff (蝴蝶酥) – Crispy, caramelized layers
• ​Fresh Milk Ha Dou (鲜奶哈斗) – Cream-filled choux pastry
• ​Drunk Cake (酒醉蛋糕) – Rum-infused sponge cake

If u want to travel to other cities from Shanghai, pls search for trains below:

Where to Shop in Shanghai? Best Streets & Areas

1. Anfu Road (安福路)

This street is basically Shanghai's open-air wardrobe. You've got ​BM for those basic-but-cute outfits every girl's wearing, ​Tagi with their viral phone cases (you've seen them on Xiaohongshu), and ​SMFK - where all the cool kids get their destroyed sneakers. Coffee break? ​Gregorius SHADE does that thick, sludgy dirty coffee that keeps you shopping for hours.
📍 Get there: Subway Line 7 to Changshu Road Station (Exit 7), then walk 3 mins past the hipster coffee shops.

​2. Tianzifang

A total maze of tiny shops selling stuff you don't need but definitely want. Handmade earrings, silk pajamas, vintage Mao posters - it's all here. The alleys are so narrow you'll be doing the sideways shuffle past other shoppers. Hungry? Kommune does avocado toast that's actually good (rare in China). The deeper alleys (near Lane 210) have better prices than main paths.

📍Get there: Subway Line 9 to Dapuqiao Station (Exit 1), follow the smell of incense and tourists.

​3. Nanjing Road

This is where shopping becomes a blood sport. Start at the old-school department store, then fight your way through the Muji and Sephora crowds. At night it turns into this crazy neon jungle - all flashing signs and shouting vendors. Watch your wallet and wear shoes you can run in.

📍Get there: Subway Line 2 to East Nanjing Road Station (Exit 10) - brace yourself for the human tsunami.

Where to Shop in Shanghai? Best Malls for Everyone

1. Luxury Malls in Shanghai

Plaza 66 (南京西路 Nanjing West Road)
Shanghai's answer to Rodeo Drive – Louis Vuitton and Gucci flaunt their latest "look at me" pieces here. Pro tip: After your designer dopamine hit, sneak down to the basement for xiaolongbao that'll make you forget you just spent a month's rent.
📍 Get there: Subway Line 2/12 to West Nanjing Road Station, Exit 3 (follow the designer shopping bags)

IFC Mall (浦东 Pudong)
Come for the Instagram shot with the Oriental Pearl Tower, stay because you accidentally bought a ¥10,000 handbag. The rooftop's golden hour views is sooo cool. Bonus: The Apple Store here actually has breathing room (rare in Shanghai).
📍 Get there: Lujiazui Station (Line 2/14), connected directly to mall.

✅Get a local SIM card or reliable eSIM data plan - you'll need internet for checking metro routes, schedules, and using mobile payments!

2. Mid-Range in Shanghai (My Fav)

IAPM Mall (淮海中路 Huaihai Road)
Where Shanghai's cool crowd shops after dark – open 'til midnight! Snag minimalist COS outfits by day, then raid the streetwear pop-ups at night. Fuel up at Huǒshāoyún for that saucy Yunnan chicken that'll have you licking the bowl.
📍 Get there: South Shaanxi Road Station (Line 1/10/12) - you'll spot the glowing mall from the exit

Xintiandi
History buffs, this one's for you. Shop in restored 1920s stone-gate houses, then pretend you're in a period drama at Lost Heaven while eating fusion Yunnan tapas.
📍 Get there: Xintiandi Station (Line 10/13) - follow the smell of expensive cocktails

Credit: Unsplash

3. Budget-Friendly Malls in Shanghai

Global Harbor (中山北路 Zhongshan North Road)
Imagine the Louvre and Uniqlo having a child. This European-themed hypermarket allows you to pretend to be in Venice when purchasing basic H&M items. Bring the children along - the roof has enough space to expend their energy (and your patience).
📍 How to get there: Jinshajiang road Station (Lines 3, 4, and 13) - the huge glass dome is not to be missed

Qingpu Outlets
Coach bags for Auntie Li, Nike kicks for ¥300, and enough Adidas tracksuits to outfit a K-pop dance crew. Just don't do it on weekends - locals flock in as if giving away egg tarts for one yuan.
📍 How to get there: Take Line 17 to Zhuguang Road, then take a 15-minute didi ride - trust us, the discount here is worth it

Where to Shop in Shanghai? Best Attractions to Shop

​The Bund + Nanjing Road
Avoid the crowds during the day - come at 8 p.m., when the neon lights are just right. After taking skyline photos, walk for 5 minutes to the First Department Store on Nanjing Road (the escalator from the 1930s is still in use!) Buy local cosmetics, such as Maxam cream (Grandma's Perfect Skin Secret). Insider information: The xiaolongbao made at the basement food court are more delicious than those at most tourist attractions.

​French Concession (Wukang Road Area)
Start your morning with blueberry waffles at loal and click on these:

• Wukang Building: Take a classic photo and then browse through the art books of Drops Coffee
• Anfu Road: On weekday afternoons, you can buy SMFK's worn-out denim jackets (the kind that all the cool aunts wear) at half price.
• Secret Discovery: 48-hour Custom Cheongsam at Chuan Studio in Lane 1040

​Yu Garden Bazaar
Come hungry at 9am before tour buses arrive:

• Must-eat: Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant’s crab roe soup dumplings (get the ¥35 set)
• Best souvenir: White Rabbit candy lip balm at the pharmacy near Nine Zigzag Bridge
• Avoid: Those "antique" jade dealers near the exit - real pieces are at Dongtai Road Market

​Tianzifang’s Back Alleys
The main lanes are for tourists - the real finds are:

• Cat Heaven (Alley 210): Hand-embroidered kitten brooches
• Old Shanghai Post Office: Vintage propaganda poster postcards
• Pro tip: Bargain hard - start at 30% of the asking price and walk away once

Shanghai Tax-Free Shopping Tips

Credit: Unsplash

How does it work

• Spend more than 500 yuan at a duty-free store (look for the blue "duty-free" label).
• Keep the receipt and show your passport.
• Collect the refund at the counter of Pudong/Pudong Airport (the queue time at Terminal 2 is shorter).

Best Duty-Free Shop

• SUNRISE Duty Free Store (CITIC Plaza) : Cosmetics and Skin care products (La Mer, SK-II).
• AP Square (Xujiahui) : Electronics and watches.
• Warning: Not all duty-free shops are legal. Be sure to visit these government-approved scenic spots mentioned above.

What NOT to Buy in Shanghai

Credit: Unsplash

🚫1. "Antique" jade wares and "retro" porcelain

• Why? Ninety percent of the counterfeit goods are factory-made, especially in Yuyuan and the counterfeit goods market.
• Red Flag: The vendor claimed that this was "from the Qing Dynasty" (genuine antiques cannot be legally sold on the street).
• Safe alternative: Chinale (No. 774, Changle Road), modern artisan ceramics, with a certificate of authenticity.

🚫2. AP Square/Qipu Road Electronic Equipment

• Why? "New" iphones/SONY cameras are often refurbished or damaged by water.
• Red Flag: The price is 40% lower than the retail price.
• Safe choice: Suning (official retailer) or Apple Store IFC Mall (tax-free for tourists).

🚫3. Counterfeit brand-name products (bags/watches)

• Why? Customs will seize counterfeit goods of very poor quality (the "Louis Vuitton" trademark will peel off after two uses).
• Danger Signal: Hidden Secret Room "Directory".
• Safe options: Labelhood (commissioned by a local designer) or Plaza 66 for genuine luxury goods.

🚫4. Street snacks near the subway station

• Why? Reused oil and problematic meat (locals do not go to the barbecue carts at People's Square).
• Hongqi: There are no Chinese customers queuing up.
• Safe choice: Yang's Pan-fried Dumplings on Wujiang Road (12 yuan per piece, open kitchen).

💡 Professional skills to avoid fraud:

• Alipay/b wechat Pay (Create transaction records for disputes).
• Asking for an invoice (official receipt) - scammers usually refuse.
• Take a look at the price - the seller has raised the price for foreigners by 300%.