Shopping & Bargaining

Where Chinese people shop

Shopping in China spans an enormous range — from gleaming five-floor luxury malls in Shanghai and Beijing to sprawling open-air wholesale markets where entire blocks are dedicated to a single product category (electronics, fabrics, toys, hardware). Night markets operate after dark in most cities, offering street food alongside clothing, accessories, and souvenirs. For everyday items, apps like Taobao and JD.com dominate — China is the world's largest e-commerce market by a significant margin.

For travellers, the most interesting shopping experiences are the markets. Silk Market (绸缎市场) in Beijing, Yuyuan Bazaar in Shanghai, and the Qingping Market in Guangzhou are among the most famous, but every city has its own equivalents. At these markets, the starting price quoted to a foreign-looking visitor is typically two to five times the actual selling price — sometimes more. Bargaining isn't just acceptable, it's expected and part of the experience.

Asking about price

The art of bargaining

Effective bargaining in Chinese markets follows a rhythm. The vendor quotes a price — often wildly inflated. You counter at roughly 30–40% of their asking price. They come down. You come up, but slowly. The deal closes somewhere in the middle, typically at 40–60% of the original asking price for tourist goods, less for genuine wholesale items.

The most powerful bargaining tools are: a willingness to walk away (begin leaving — prices often drop dramatically), buying multiple items at once, paying cash, and asking 最低多少钱 (what's the lowest price) to skip the theatrical opening rounds. Never show too much enthusiasm for an item before negotiating — pointing excitedly at something signals you want it, which removes your leverage.

Tone matters as much as words. Bargaining should be cheerful, almost playful — it's a social exchange, not a confrontation. A smile and a joking 太贵了！(too expensive!) lands better than a stern demand.

Sizes, colours, and variants

When shopping for clothing, electronics, or any item that comes in variants, you'll need vocabulary for sizes and colours. Chinese clothing sizes often run smaller than Western equivalents — always try before buying where possible.

Paying and receipts

Mobile payment dominates China — WeChat Pay (微信支付 Wēixìn zhīfù) and Alipay (支付宝 Zhīfùbǎo) are used for virtually everything from street food to taxis. As a foreign visitor, setting up Chinese mobile payment can be complicated (it typically requires a Chinese bank account), though both apps have been improving international card support. Cash (现金 xiànjīn) is still widely accepted but increasingly rare in urban areas. Having some 100 RMB notes is useful as backup.

Key shopping vocabulary