What would a trip overseas be without doing some shopping?! The place I enjoy going is called the Silk Market. You may also hear it called the Silk Alley or Silk Street. Either way, it is located on a major road going through Beijing, so it is easy to find.
The basement level has leather goods, shoes, and purses. The first floor has clothes, t-shirts, and coats. The second floor has some clothes and scarfs and, once you get to the third floor, you will find jewelry. In fact, the next couple of floors up have jewelry. The higher the floor, the higher the quality and price. Obviously, you can negotiate a better percentage off the asking price for a t-shirt than you can a high-quality piece of jewelry. If you like to negotiate prices, you will love going shopping here.
My favorite place to buy shoes (boots, to be more precise) is located on the basement level. This booth is called Left Right. The young ladies working there are very sweet and helpful.
The manager here is named Linda. She is wonderful to work with. She recently got married. I am not sure how much time she will be spending there now, but the rest of her team are equally skilled at helping customers.
One of the things that amazes me most about the shops at the Silk Market is their merchandising. They can get an incredible amount of merchandise in a small space! I like looking at the shoes because there are so many colors to catch your eyes.
Most of the people working in the booths are ladies. I am sure they are under some pressure to increase their sales… but, when there are no other customers around and they have time to chat, they are all so nice. Most of them have the same life story: I left my hometown and came to Beijing trying to make a better living. Be nice to them and have some fun as you negotiate prices. Your shopping trip will be very enjoyable and memorable.
Enjoy your shopping!