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Leopold Chen

Connor Mycroft

Loyal customers and bargain hunters crowded a landmark department store in Hong Kong on Sunday as it closed its doors after three decades of operations.
The closure of Sincere Department Store’s Sham Shui Po branch, a neighbourhood fixture for 30 years, leaves the chain with only two remaining outlets.
Founded in 1900, Sincere was the first Chinese-owned department store in Hong Kong and remains one of the city’s oldest retail groups.
Its branches in Mong Kok and Central continued to operate.
On Sunday, a Post reporter saw shoppers packing the store’s three floors at the Dragon Centre eager to seize a final opportunity to grab last-minute bargains.
Farewell notes adorned the store’s entrance and interior, drawing shoppers who stopped to take photos with them during their last visit.
“We have gone through three decades of good times with many warm stories ... It’s a pity we can no longer continue this journey,” one of the notes in Chinese read.
Products were sold at steep discounts while shelves that once displayed furniture and food stood largely empty.
A large crowd gathered around the counters for umbrellas and clothing, eagerly sifting through the last remaining bargains.
Retiree Wong Kai-kee, in his 70s, travelled from Sha Tin with his wife for the final day, snapping selfies and buying clothes.
A long-time member of the chain, Wong said he had visited the Sham Shui Po outlet for more than two decades.
“It is more convenient to buy some high-end apparel here,” he said. “It has product varieties that are not available at other department stores.”
Joyce Chu, a clerk in the social welfare sector, said she had been shopping at the store for six years since moving to Sham Shui Po.
“It’s a pity for the store to close ... it has been here for decades,” said Chu, who is in her forties, after buying snacks there for the last time.
She attributed the downfall of long-standing retailers to the rise of cross-border shopping and e-commerce, noting how online platforms often undercut local prices.
Chu said she bought a handbag for about HK$700 from an e-commerce platform, while bags from the same brand were priced at more than HK$1,000 at the Sincere branch.
“Online shopping platforms operate on a ‘low profit, high volume’ basis, which has dealt a blow to local merchants,” she said.

Sincere’s founder Ma Ying Piu and his friends opened the store upon returning to Hong Kong from Australia, where they sold bananas for a living.
The group had been inspired by David Jones, an upmarket Sydney department store they admired.
Sincere was a pioneer in Hong Kong retail, becoming the first store to hire female shop assistants, implement a fixed-price policy with no bargaining, and issue official receipts to customers.
In the 1980s, Sincere and its main rival Wing On – which was founded in 1907 – agreed to open on alternate Sundays so employees at both stores could have regular days off.
While retail remained the company’s core business for decades, Sincere began to suffer heavy losses in the 2010s as local shopping habits evolved and its image was seen as outdated among younger consumers.
In 2021, third-generation owner Philip Ma King-huen resigned as chairman and CEO after Realord Group Holdings acquired all of the company’s listed shares.
Bryan Lin Xiaohui, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, has since served as chairman.
In 2016, the company operated at least six department stores across the city. With the closure of the branch at the Dragon Centre, only two remain, in Central and Mong Kok.


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Hongkongers flock to say goodbye as landmark Sham Shui Po department store closes

Bargain hunters pack the Sham Shui Po branch of Sincere Department Store on its last day of operations. Photo: Sam Tsang

The Sham Shui Po branch offered steep discounts on its last day of operations. Photo: Sam Tsang

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Hong Kong

Hong Kong Economy

Close of Sincere’s Sham Shui Po branch, a neighbourhood fixture for 30 years, leaves chain with only two remaining outlets


Close of Sincere’s Sham Shui Po branch, a neighbourhood fixture for 30 years, leaves chain with only two remaining outlets.


Sincere Co

Hongkongers flock to say goodbye as landmark Sham Shui Po department store closes

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Close of Sincere’s Sham Shui Po branch, a neighbourhood fixture for 30 years, leaves chain with only two remaining outlets

Close of Sincere’s Sham Shui Po branch, a neighbourhood fixture for 30 years, leaves chain with only two remaining outlets