Hongkongers hunt for roast chicken, laundry detergent and other bargains at US warehouse store in Shenzhen
- Residents catch cross-border buses and sign up for shopping spree tours to visit Sam’s Club outlet in Qianhai, buoyed by bargain prices and strong Hong Kong dollar
- ‘You will feel you are making good use of your money when you shop here,’ bargain hunter says
Bargain hunters from Hong Kong told the Post on Sunday they were visiting the Sam’s Club outlet in Qianhai because the venue was spacious and packed with low-priced products, with one saying: “You will feel happy about spending money here.”
The membership-only chain of warehouse stores, which is owned by United States supermarket giant Walmart, opened its first outlets in mainland China in Shenzhen in 1996. The brand now has 44 shops in 25 cities across the country.
Hongkonger Albert Lam Cheuk, who is in his 50s, piled up his trolley with decorations and snacks for the coming Lunar New Year break, including a festive dragon-style lantern going for about 90 yuan (HK$99).
“Lots of items I bought today come recommended by different YouTubers,” he said. “You will feel you are making good use of your money when you shop here.”
The trip was the second time Lam and his wife had taken a direct cross-border bus from Tuen Mun to the warehouse store, while others joined a tour group offering Hongkongers a weekend trip in the north to splash out at the outlet.
The trend reflected a rise in city residents heading to the mainland, buoyed by more retail choices and a stronger Hong Kong dollar against the yuan.
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Hong Kong travel agent EGL Tours over the weekend took a group of 80 bargain hunters, aged between 60 and 70, on a trip to Sam’s Club that also covered popular sights in Dongguan.
Shoppers are each charged HK$459 to HK$559, with the fees varying according to the departure day and covering transport, food and hotel accommodation, as well as a two-person Sam’s Club membership card worth 260 yuan.
Ahead of the scheduled shopping spree on Sunday, a group with EGL Tours travelled to attractions around Dongguan such as Songhu Yanyu along Songshan Lake and Xixi Ancient Village on Saturday.
The package also offers the use of a karaoke room and two mahjong tables at the hotel.
According to EGL Tours’ website, the Sam’s Club shopping tours are fully booked until February 5. The package only became available on December 28, with the first trip heading out on Saturday. The travel operator said it planned to send out tours in two 40-strong groups on a daily basis.
Hong Kong Tourism Association executive director Timothy Chui Ting-pong earlier said that about 10 local travel agencies had launched similar tour packages.
A Post reporter at the Sam’s Club outlet in Qianhai on Sunday afternoon observed that four Hong Kong tour groups, each comprising at least 30 people, had arrived at the store within 20 minutes.
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Civil servant Sunny Ho Kwok-Chong, in his mid-50s, said he had joined a tour arranged by another company to experience the craze of a shopping spree.
Ho’s haul on Sunday included a 1.5kg (3.31lbs) roasted chicken going for 39.9 yuan, two vacuum flasks for 99 yuan a piece and three jars of laundry detergent pods at 89 yuan each.
“How can you find this price in Hong Kong?” he said. “It is such a good bargain even if you buy them as gifts for others.”
The spacious shopping area also created a nice atmosphere for splashing out, while supermarkets back in Hong Kong were only half the size of the outlet, Ho added.
But Victoria Lee Wai-yan, who joined the EGL Tours trip with her parents, said she might not come again.
“My house is not big enough for the large items. As for the small ones, why not just buy them in Hong Kong?” the 42-year-old secretary said.
While Shenzhen is home to four Sam’s Club stores, the company will face fresh competition from US warehouse retailer Costco Wholesale once the latter opens its new store in the city’s Longhua district on Friday.
Search data from Google showed interest in the new store among users in Shenzhen had overtaken Sam’s Club by last Friday.
