As Chinese shoppers shun Hong Kong because of rising anti-mainland sentiment, the city’s retailers are hoping for some respite with the opening of their own mall in neighbouring Shenzhen.
The Rmb350m ($54m) HOKO mall, built by Hong Kong’s billionaire Cheng family, is designed to give mainland consumers access to the foreign products and Hong Kong brands they crave without the hassle of crossing the border into the increasingly troubled semi-autonomous territory.
“This is much easier than going to Hong Kong where there are long lines at immigration, mainland people get harassed on public transport and it is not safe after the recent riot,” says Shenzhen resident Pan Meizhu, one of many Chinese shoppers who have been attracted by the Hong Kong-style shopping experience.