Doing Business in Hong Kong

There are a number of distinctive aspects of Hong Kong in which Chan (2012) have pointed out in “Make HK a World Emporium,” which have mediated and shaped the influences towards Hong Kong over the years. According to Chan (2012) Hong Kong is “a well-known market to consumers from the mainland.” Extravagant and luxury stores like Gucci, Chanel and Louis Vuitton are often surrounded and overcrowded with Mainland Chinese customers. One of the encounters experienced during my visit to Kowloon, was Harbour City (海港城) located at Tsim Sha Tsui; where many Mainland Chinese customers were easily distinguished from the Hong Kong locals, as they would carry their large empty luggage to do their shopping, eager to snag a bargain. Most surprisingly some lavished stores have also started limiting numbers of people to enter, crowed controlled by velvet ropes installed on the sidewalk.

Other Western companies such as Tiffany and Starbucks have taken advantage of Hong Kong’s overcrowding population by taking part in the rapidly developing and growing business. According to Barboza et al. (2012) many “Western companies have pushed egg tart vendors, florists and silk shops out of gracious stone buildings, which have been replaced with opulent shopping malls and high-rises connected by aerial walkways” (p. 6). For instance, this was evident in places near the Western Market (西港城), located at Des Voeux Road Central, or more recognised as the Sheung Wan Complex. Where there are any many aerial walkways connected to shopping malls, providing many goods and services for the consumers. As the economic begins to empower the resident’s consumption choices, it begins to become more apparent that there is a shift in food and beverage consumption in Hong Kong...

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...d, but there will always be many shifts that will change Hong Kong. These changes can be understood through the influence of globalisation of cultural products being exported and imported across the globe. Furthermore hybridisation of Western ideas that is infused with the Chinese culture. In addition, over the years to come there will be an increase of Mainland Chinese people visiting Hong Kong, in one case we see them migrating to Hong Kong to enjoy and live the Hong Kong dream because the location and culture has made it more convenient. On another, we see Mainland China building the economy of Hong Kong by making it one of the cores for exporting cultural goods and by doing business. Yet we also see that in the future to come, many Chinese Mainlanders will visit Hong Kong to seek out for family members who had previously migrated to the island during the 1900s.