The famous Shanghai "Fabric Market" is home to hundereds of tailors and seamstresses, and is the city's prime destination for bespoke clothing garments. If it can be stitched and sewn, they can do it for you at the South Bund Fabric Market. Be advised to bring cash,... Read more
Qipu Lu -- "cheap" street -- is a series of malls crammed, jammed, and stuffed full of cheap, cheap, cheap clothes, with some fakes for good measure. It's ground zero for young local shoppers, and pretty much hell for everyone else. Aggressive touts, swarms of... Read more
Tourist destination with markets selling everything from tea, antiques, Chinese seals, souvenirs and toys to everyday items and clothing. Toys, Christmas decorations and random weirdness can be found in two of the buidlings surrounding the main Yu Garden. Read more
The Avocado Lady is not an urban myth, but to many expats is one of Shanghai's urban legends. Her store is ever gaining in size and produce, what she doesn't have she can order. Her store is regularly stocked with fresh mints, herbs, tropical fruits, cheese, olive... Read more
The no-nonsense Foreign Language Book Store is the closest thing you'll find to whatever mega bookstore you know from your home country. The entire building is dedicated to English-language books, so they've got everything from business texts, classics, romance... Read more
AP Plaza is Pudong's biggest "fake market", located underground in Metro Line 2's Science & Technology Museum station. The northern half of AP Plaza, called Xinyang, is a collection of stalls, touts, and greedy salespeople out to rip-off unsuspecting tourists with... Read more
This vast supermarket stocks pricey reminders of home. Stock up here on good-quality meat and bread, plus imported goods from cereal to sweats and candy. Some of the stuff takes a 400% markup -- cereal is particularly killing -- but the vegetables (grown on the... Read more
The six-story market is the place in Shanghai for all your photography needs, whether you're a novice or a pro. The first two floors are packed with shops selling big brand names, the other floors are good for second hand cameras, specialist equipment, accessories,... Read more
Green & Safe is a specialty grocer by the same folks who own Qimin, that organic hotpot restaurant on Shanxi Bei Lu. The retail side of the operation sells produce and meats grown and raised at the company's organic farm in nearby Kunshan as well as specialty items... Read more
Garden Books offers the widest selection of English-language books and literature in Shanghai. You will also find a large selection of American magazine, tour books, language aids, coffee and ice cream in the cafe. If you're looking for something they don't have in... Read more
A strange but rather wonderful street where artists line up in little stalls offering to paint near-perfect replicas of photographs or existing works of art. Ever wanted a version of Holbein's Ambassadors above your fireplace? These people will do you a near-perfect... Read more
Yasmine's is a butchershop carrying a variety of local, imported meats, sausages, and more, and a steakhouse serving all of the above at friendly prices. Read more
Artisanal bakery and deli from the Wagas Group, in a striking wood-grained marble storefront. Baguettes, bagels, cakes, jams, pates, granola, coffee, etc... One rough-hewn communal table for seating, reasonable prices. Read more
Lesser known than its South Bund counterpart, Shi Liu Pu Cloth Market houses an array of tailors and seamstresses, ready to whip up commissioned clothing in a week or so. Smaller in size and a lot less busy than its neighbor, it's one of the more manageable markets... Read more
Owned and managed by one of Shanghai's most active members of the hip hop community (V-Nutz of The Lab), KIN is one part street wear boutique and one part café. On the clothing shop side of it, KIN is shirts, shoes, records, toys, and accessories inspired by music... Read more