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Fiona Sun

Jack Deng

Hongkongers were among thousands of bargain hunters who on Friday flocked to the opening day of Costco’s Shenzhen megastore as the bulk-buying frenzy at members-only outlets across the border continued.
Shoppers told the Post they had to wait for several hours before they got into the Costco in Longhua district.
Some said the shopping experience was much the same as that at another popular bulk-buy warehouse-style store that offered comparable goods and prices.
Long queues formed outside well before it opened at 8.30am, and staff members were handing out free water to people waiting in line.

The queues, surrounded by steel fences, moved slowly and more than 20 police officers and community volunteers were deployed at an intersection about 300 metres (984 feet) away from the store to help maintain the flow of traffic.
One policeman on duty said officers were expected to stand guard at the site for two to three days.
A police officer said at 2.40pm that it would take at least two hours to get into the store.
Hongkonger Carol Ng and her husband, who arrived at around 10.30am and queued for two hours before they got in, were among the shoppers.
“We saw the promotion online, so we came to take a look out of curiosity,” she said. “We bought a lot of fruit, bread and snacks for the children today because Lunar New Year is coming soon.”
Hongkongers hunt for roast chicken, other bargains at US warehouse store in Shenzhen
Ng, 66 and retired, added she spent between HK$600 (US$77) and HK$700 on products, which she estimated would have cost about HK$2,000 in Hong Kong.
She added she often signed up for tour groups to shop at Sam’s Club, another warehouse-style store in Shenzhen, owned by American supermarket giant Walmart.
Ng said the experience at Costco was not much different from Sam’s Club and that she planned to return to Hong Kong as soon as the shopping trip was completed.
Products cleared from the shelves ranged from food and daily supplies to luxury goods, including handbags, watches and jewellery.
Philip Lau, 35, who runs an online store, said he made the trip to find deals on daily necessities, despite the prospect of the long wait.
“Hongkongers like to explore new things,” he said. “A friend told me this Costco was opening so I came here out of curiosity.
“I’ll buy some basic needs like food or washing powder. I think usually they will be at least 30 per cent cheaper on the mainland than in Hong Kong.”

Retiree Zhao Yingchun from Shenzhen, who went shopping at the store with friends, complained about the huge crowds and how quickly the limited number of discounted products sold out.
“For example, strawberries, you will get 30 yuan cheaper per 500 grams, but it was sold out quickly before noon, and only 100 bottles of Mao-tai liquor advertised by Costco were provided, which is far from enough for customers,” the 62-year-old said. “I just bought some fresh shrimp. Products here are not cheaper than Sam’s Club.”
Hongkongers flock to Shenzhen where their dollar takes them further
Shenzhen resident Wu Yongtao, 31, was also among the bargain hunters who descended on the new store.
“We bought some toys and daily necessities for the children, such as fruit and meat, and it cost me about 500 yuan,” Wu, who lives nearby, said. “To be honest, I was a little disappointed because the queue was really long and my shopping experience was not worth it. We waited in line for almost three hours.”
Shop till you drop: mainland bulk retailer trips a hit with young Hongkongers
Wu agreed Costco was similar to Sam’s Club, which had similar products and prices.
The Shenzhen store is Costco’s first in south China and the sixth on the mainland. The four-storey branch, with a floor area of 44,500 square metres (478,994 sq ft), features about 4,000 brand-name products sourced from Chinese and international manufacturers.

Massive members-only bulk retailers across the border have become increasingly popular among Hongkongers because of the cheap deals on offer.
The Hong Kong dollar’s strength against the yuan has also helped make shopping on the mainland more attractive.
Sam’s Club has already caused Hongkongers to head north to hunt for bargains, as well as for items only available on the mainland.
The buzz has sparked a trend among city travel agents to include shopping sessions at the store in its itineraries to cater to the appetite for splashing out over the border.


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Hong Kong society

Hongkongers queue for more than 2 hours as they flock to bargain-hunt at new Shenzhen Costco

Thousands queue up outside the newly opened Costco in Shenzhen. Photo: Eugene Lee

One Hong Kong shopper says she waited for two hours in a huge queue. Photo: Eugene Lee

Shoppers hunt for bargains at Shenzhen’s Costco. Photo: Eugene Lee

Long queues formed outside Costco well before it opened at 8.30am. Photo: Eugene Lee

Hongkongers hunt for roast chicken, laundry detergent and other bargains at US warehouse store in Shenzhen

Hongkongers at a Sam’s Club outlet in Shenzhen stock up on goodies. Photo: Eugene Lee

Sam’s Club is a membership-only chain of warehouse stores that opened its first mainland Chinese outlet in Shenzhen in 1996. Photo: Eugene Lee

Hongkongers have said the store in Qianhai offers plenty of bargains and has a spacious layout that encourages shoppers to splash out. Photo: Eugene Lee

Many bargain hunters are capitalising on the stronger value of the Hong Kong dollar against the mainland’s yuan. Photo: Eugene Lee

What are Hongkongers doing in Shenzhen for National Day break? Turning away from regular staples and hunting for bargains

Tourists spend time at Coco Park mall in Shenzhen over the National Day long weekend. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Shoppers hunt for bargains at the members only Sam’s Club warehouse. Photo: Oscar Liu

News

Hong Kong

Society

Hong Kong economy

Residents wait for hours before getting into store, say shopping experience similar to rival Sam’s Club
‘To be honest, I was a little disappointed because the queue was really long and my shopping experience was not worth it,’ one says


‘To be honest, I was a little disappointed because the queue was really long and my shopping experience was not worth it,’ one says.


Retailing

Hong Kong tourism

Tourism

Costco

Hongkongers queue for more than 2 hours as they flock to bargain-hunt at new Shenzhen Costco

Residents wait for hours before getting into store, say shopping experience similar to rival Sam’s Club ‘To be honest, I was a little disappointed because the queue was really long and my shopping experience was not worth it,’ one says

Residents wait for hours before getting into store, say shopping experience similar to rival Sam’s Club

‘To be honest, I was a little disappointed because the queue was really long and my shopping experience was not worth it,’ one says