Shopping in Kunshan

Parkson Mall

Kunshan’s newest western-style mall opened last fall of 2011.  It is a mix of high fashion stores, including over 260 western and Asian brands along with a conglomeration of restaurants.  Here you can find some familiar places, like Starbucks, Subway, Haagen Dazs, and Uniqlo.  It is also connected to the popular French grocery, Carrefour.  It can be easily reached by hopping on bus 119.

There are more things to do than just shop and eat.  They have a large water and light show that often has a daily presentation during the evening.

ShangSha Mall

Shangsha Mall, like Parkson, is just one of the many brand name malls in Kunshan.  It is located in the downtown area on Renmin Nanlu. Inside, you will find a bowling alley on the top floor that is familiar to most localized expats for cheap beer and inexpensive games. Shangsha Mall also has a nice ice cream store and coffee shop located inside.  You will see brands like Este Lauder and Calvin Klein sold here.

Tinglin Road

Tinglin Road is known for its quaint, small retail shops.  You never know what you might find when you walk down this street!  The best way to explore is to start near the Kunshan hotel and head north on Tinglin Lu.  After a leisurely stroll and some window shopping, you will you will eventually end up at Tinglin Park.  I particularly enjoy this street for the food.  Make sure to try some delicious treats, including the egg tarts, CoCo drinks, and chestnuts!

Square 9 Mall
Square 9 is  a new mall tucked away on the north side of Kunshan on XiaoLin West Road.  Inside you will find popular stores like H&M, Gap, and Sephora.  Prices are more reasonable than Parkson, although a little far from the downtown, it is easy to shop, eat and find taxis!

Eagle Mall
Eagle Mall is a short walk away from "Expat Alley" (the small strip of expat restaurants on HeiLongJiang Road).  On the bottom floor, you can find a grocery store, and the other floors are brimming with trending restaurants (including an Indian restaurant) and reasonably-priced stores (well, in comparison to Parkson).

Expat Expenses: Can You Justify It?

Standing befuddled in the middle of the cereal aisle, there was no doubt we were amateurs.   The other shoppers assertively scanned and gathered their necessities from the shelves before swiftly moving along to the next item on their grocery list.  Why couldn't I be so confident?  Instead, Chitrak and I were in a state of pure disbelief and facing what might seem as an absurd predicament--Should we buy Cookie Crisp?

We were in Shanghai at City Shop, the “Walmart” of all foreign goods in China.  Our cart was parked in an empty corner, so we could reassess all of our things one more time.   

   How much is it?  I asked again, hoping he had misread the price.      

   About 90 RMB, Chitrak said again, just as he had before.  90 RMB is equivalent to almost $16 in the US.  

Now  it doesn't seem so crazy to indulge in meaningful debate about such a delicious morning meal.  Our conversation led all the way up to the cash register as we tried to justify the expense.

Do you like Cookie Crisp, or are you buying it because you know I love it?  I asked, looking him square in the eye.

Are you kidding me Megan? he said with such surprise, It's like having Famous Amos in milk for breakfast.  Of course I love it!

Say  no more!  His argument convinced me.  Let’s get it!

******

In China, if you only have a taste for foreign food (AKA not Chinese cuisine), then you’ll take a large hit to the wallet.  For us, we can’t justify the expense and have decided that we'll spend very little on our City Shop trips.  This was our second visit, and we really watched our budget.  Take a look at our receipt!  You'll find that a little bit of food goes a long way in your overall bill! 

In all, we spent 589.20 RMB, which means, on all the beautiful foreign goods you see below, we dished out $94.57 (no pun intended).

A Detailed Synopsis of the Damage 

Our Extravagant Buy!

The Breakdown:

RMB       USD $$
15.10  ~  2.42    Dried Mango Snack
89.80  ~ 14.41   Cookie Crisp
36.70  ~   5.89   Corn Flakes
42.00  ~   6.74   Kraft Velveeta & Cheese
15.90  ~   2.55   Green Giant Green Bean
16.80  ~   2.69   Campbell's Cream of Mushroom
16.00  ~   2.56   Reese's Peanut Butter Cup

RMB       USD $$
38.00  ~   6.10   Morton Sea Salt
16.80  ~   2.56   Campbell's Cream of Chicken
10.00  ~   1.61   Del Monte Whole Kernel Corn
16.80  ~   2.69   Campbell's Cream of Mushroom
29.80  ~   4.78   Bag of Garbanzo Beans
26.00  ~   4.17   Bag of Light Red Kidney Beans
69.80  ~ 11.20   Newman's Own Dressing RANCH
32.00  ~   5.14   Beef Stock (cubes)
14.20  ~   2.28  Del Monte Green Beans
10.00  ~   1.61  Del Monte Cream of Corn


What might you be longing for if you lived in China?  
See what you what can buy at City Shop!  
http://www.cityshop.com.cn/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/TopCategories1_10601_10051_-7