Life Goods is one of those stores that should be on every corner. It is a "general" store that just…read moreseems to stock everything that one would need for life! What I like, is that provide across a number of household needs; home-wares like Japan Home Centre, stationery like the mom and pop shops, hardware like the guys on Wellington Street. It seems that if you need anything, you can get it here. It is moderately cramped in the store, I suppose the stock has to go somewhere, so if you have shopping bags or a ruck sack, be careful! There are two floors, with mainly stationery, kitchen-ware, and hard ware downstairs, and bigger home-wares upstairs, like ironing boards and plastic boxes. Some of the store highlights include; photo albums, plastic boxes, paint pens, plastic spiral key chains, lots of carabiners, toys, and decorations, and a few items that I would not have expected, including; gas torches and soldering kit for plumbing, and thick transparent plastic sheeting, like stuff they drop down the sides of the junk boats to stop the splashes coming in. The staff are very friendly, if not a bit difficult to spot as they don't wear any uniform, and will help you to get out stock, or cut rolls of linoleum. The prices are very very reasonable, basically cheap as chips, so fill your boots! The store is also very close to Tin Hau station, so only a short walk if you are carrying a plastic box full of stuff!

Dulux Colour Solution Centre is one of those stores that I never thought I'd need to enter or even…read moreknow of its existence. It's not often that I need to repaint my walls, or fix a broken tile - that's usually left to the landlord. That was until I accidentally dragged a bed frame against the entire length of my bedroom wall. I found Dulux much by chance. I wasn't looking for it as I knew I still had a couple months before my contract on the flat ended. Upon seeing it I thought, why not? I entered and realised how much out of my depth that I was. The different types of paints for different types of pain jobs, all sorts of glue, and at least fifty different paint brushes... or are they brushes for glue? I tried asking the lady behind the counter but her English, better than my Cantonese, was not perfect. While exploring the shop I managed to find a section that sold tape. The sticky kind. You don't know how long I've been looking for tape - much of my free time I'm working on video or photo shoots and tape is super handy. So instead of buying a bucket of paint and some brushes I ended up leaving with a bag full of tape. However, the scratch on my bedroom wall is a constant reminder that I need to research what paint to buy, as soon as I know that I'll head straight back to Dulux for I'm sure, with all the buckets they have, they have what I need.

Hong Kong has a surprising lack of Paint stores. The ones that do exist are tiny and dingy and…read morespecialize in hardware and supplies. Paint chips, if they have them, are old, faded, are on a ring and lean toward the pastels and tropical. This paint shop in Wan Chai has more variety, updated paint cards and will mix sample pots in 15 minutes (I had them mix 10 last time I was there). It's with a trip even from Kowloon.

Fortress is everywhere around the city. But I really like this location. Staff is friendly and…read morevery helpful, especially when I don't speak Cantonese. I've shopped here for a vacuum, humidifier, heater, and a T.V. T A typical scenario is, "Hello, I like this T.V. and this T.V. What makes this one more expensive? and Why is this one not as good?" They answer with a non-bias response and then give me their honest opinion of which choice I will get the most "bang for my buck". They never pressure you as well. They will tell you the information and if you decide not to buy...then it's OK! See you later Fortress!

Golden Computer Accessories is a great little store on Des Veoux Road Central, just behind The…read moreCentre. It sells all of the standard computer wares that one might expect; hard drives, memory cards, printers, networking accessories, you get the idea, but also a number of other electronic items like shredders, card media accessories, and television accessories. What is refreshing, is to see a very well stocked computer store outside of the Wan Chai Computer Centre (but it does have sister branches in Wan Chai 298 and Mong Kok). What is also nice about this store is that they have quite a large chunk of real estate with all of their products displayed on shelves around the shop. As such, you don't feel like you're walking into a junk store. If you do have a chance to go, ask for Chris, he's very knowledgeable and will steer you in the right direction. It is useful if you do know something about computers, or what you want to buy, because they will try to up-sell you on some products. For example, I wanted to buy a hard drive for my Mac, and they presented me the Mac formatted one, which was HK$50 more expensive. It wasn't until I explain to them that I could reformat my own PC drive and save myself $50, that they conceded to give me what I wanted. The prices are very reasonable, comparable to the other computer centres around Hong Kong, despite being in Central. Don't forget to also ask for a discount. As with most stores in Hong Kong, the list price is not the real price. Ask for a discount you may get 5 to 10% off.

Same ol cheap souvenir goods one stall to the next. They say haggle is normal. Start at 50% of…read moreasking. Walk away as there is another seller a few stalls down selling the same thing. Note that you can find good value (low price) stuff. If you know what you want and what you are willing to pay for it. Buyer beware! Example is designer hand bags. Great looking knock offs for sure. But if you don't need the real thing. This place is a gold mine! The vendors set up and take down the stalls every night it seems. Crazy ton of work but once set up the market is quite busy and worth at least a stroll one evening. Another hidden gem are the brick and mortar stores and restaurants behind the night stalls. Plenty of food and misc businesses back there that are concealed by the night market stalls Don't expect much customer service. Bargain and be confident. Have fun!

This is well known especially if you have read about it in guides online or if you so happens to be…read moreChinese. It is the place for cheap knockoffs. Backpacks, both men's and women's wear, purses, shoes, towels, toys etc. There are several blocks so I would take your time visiting each one to get a feel for it. Don't immediately give in especially the first vendor you visit. Could be selling for too much. Though after a while, do start hassling. If it is too high then move on to the next one and the next one. However if they pull you back, then listen to them. Perhaps it's a good deal. It really depends on the particular vendor. Eventually I did an excellent deal. I recommend it going even once. Just follow the people heading that way. Or when you see it, you know you're in the right place.

Saturday. 50% off…read more SHEER INSANITY. Great deals. I never miss the opportunity of taking the Star Ferry over to Hong Kong side and descending on Hennessy Road, when visiting Hong Kong. Pro-tip: this is primarily an area for shopping, not many exciting eats around. Eat before you embark on your retail therapy.

There are many floors in Sogo, however the layout on each floor just confusing for us…read more Not the greatest department store. My sis bought skincare items and the merchandise did not come with a carrier. I get it that we need to protect the environment and use less paper, etc etc.. But this a bit much. My sis has to put her purchase and stuffed it in her designer leather bag. The only thing I like is the grocery store in basement two. So many things to buy and many interesting food items to check out. And yep, we stuffed our groceries in our designer bags too :( Extremely crowded on weekdays evenings and all day on weekends.

Love this Muji store at New Town Plaza in Shatin. It is in Phase 3, where you can find lots of…read moreretailers alongside this storefront in the lower level. The store layout is easy to explore starting with the food and beverage section upfront. Next, there is women's fashion and men's fashion, followed by beauty and home supplies. The area is well maintained and clutter-free despite volumes of visitors on the daily. The styles are very Japan-esque and the clothes are very comfy and quality. The stationary section is super well stocked and prices are very reasonable too. I always look forward to visiting this store to stock up on supplies and to find new items to take home. The cashier is extremely efficient and the long lines move fast. Paying with Octopus, Alipay, or credit can earn you points on The Point app, but cash is also welcome.

Like many others, I am a fan of Muji... except for their stringent return policy. Be sure that you…read moretotally love the product and it's a good fit before you head to the register. Compare to other Muji locations in Hong Kong, this one is not as big, though it still is a big store. If simple, earth tone, cotton and linen is your style, you'll enjoy shopping here. Their price is not cheap, but neither is their product. You can shop here rest assured that the product is high quality and well made, not something that may look good but break apart soon.