New-found paradise for avid shoppers
Shopping choices abound in Macau, whether for the big spender or the bargain hunter. High-end luxury outlets have descended on this duty-free port, but hidden away in small alleys there are still stores with fascinating treasures often gathering dust on back shelves.
Visitor arrivals soared to nearly 10 million in the first four months of this year, up by 16.3 per cent over the same period last year. With per-capita spending by visitors also up by nearly 5 per cent, international brands have been eager to get a foothold in this market.
Shoppers from mainland China now record the highest per capita retail spending in the world, and retailers hope to see some revenue flowing their way.
Luxury shopping arcades are now a key feature in Macau's old and new hotels - especially the glitzy new outlets on the Cotai Strip joining the islands of Coloane and Taipa. The Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian Macao casino stole the limelight last August when it rolled out the red carpet to reveal an overall retail space of 1 million sqft. Its 350 shops operate from 10am to 11pm (midnight on Fridays and Saturdays) and feature leading international brands.
The arcade attempts to recreate the tourist scenes of Venice with streetmosphere performers, canals and gondola rides.
Wynn Macau found its shopping arcade so popular that gaming space was cut down in its PhaseII expansion to accommodate 11 more shops which were opened last December. Wynn Esplanade (the luxurious shopping promenade at Wynn Macau) houses more than 20 exclusive luxury boutiques in about 46,000 sqft of exquisitely designed retail space. The Rolex store is the brand's second store in the world with the other outlet at Wynn Las Vegas.
'The response from retailers to Wynn Macau has been phenomenal. Many international and luxury retailers see Macau as a key growth market in the region, especially with increasing visitation numbers and an ongoing undersupply of retailers,' a hotel spokesman said. 'Therefore, we are bullish about retail development in the city.'
The DFS Galleria Macau will debut at the Four Seasons Hotel Macao in Cotai Strip. This anchor tenant will feature more than 110 brands, including 19 standalone boutiques by the world's most prestigious luxury retailers. Its floor space of 110,000 sqft will be divided into three distinctive sections - Boutique World, Beauty World, and Watches and Jewellery World.
But away from the Cotai Strip's glittering arcades and back in 'old Macau' a good starting place for a shopping expedition is Leal Senado Square (facing the main street, Avenida Almeida Ribeiro and next to the Central Post Office). In the narrow streets leading off the square there is a wealth of inexpensive items of all kinds, especially clothing. Both shops and stalls here specialise in locally manufactured baby clothes, underwear, shoes and accessories, and jeans, sweaters, T-shirts and sportswear in all sizes and styles.
Nearby, the Sun Star City, on Rua de Pedro Nolasco, and Sportstar, a two-storey arcade of speciality shops on Rua da Palha, offer a wide variety of clothing, watches and stylish accessories such as sunglasses, handbags, shoes and novelty items.
One little-known shopping area is in the small streets near the highly distinctive Red Market on the corner of Avenida Almirante Lacerda and Avenida Horta e Costa. An hour or two spent poking around the amazing variety of shops there will turn up bargains. Keep an eye out for the famous 'bag shop' on a corner, where you'll find Asia's cheapest handbags and backpacks.
More bargains can also be found at the historic Three Lamps (Rotunda Carlos da Maia) where the narrow streets are full of small shops selling goods at bargain prices.
Savvy antique-furniture buffs patronise Chinese furniture shops for authentic old China coast items, some of them treasures handed down from one generation of Portuguese residents to the next, and dating back at least a century.
Most of these shops are in the inner-city area bounded by Rua de S?o Paulo, Rua das Estalagens and Rua St Antonio, all in the neighbourhood of two of Macau's greatest tourist attractions - the facade of St Paul's at the foot of historic Monte Fort.
If visiting Macau on a Sunday, get a taste of the hometown flea market at the Islands' Weekly Fair in a picturesque area of Taipa Island, between Bombeiros Square and Cam?es Square in the heart of the old Taipa village. There are many booths selling traditional crafts and souvenirs, brand items and trifles, clothes, toys and other products.
