Sarah N.
Yelp
So if you are a committed outlet shopper, this is really the only spot I have found to find authentic high end brands at any discount in Hong Kong. I came out this way a few years ago, a few weeks ago and now just yesterday (in pursuit of after X-mas sales).
Horizon Plaza (where the all the main shopping is) is one 30 story building. It is kind of located on the tip of Ap Lei Chau and feels like a barron spot, full of warehouses. Each floor has different stores. There are many floors and stores that are entirely dedicated to furniture and home decor. I concentrate on clothing, shoes, bags, accessories, which then eliminates many floors. I now really seek out the brands and stores I personally love and skip all the rest.
If you go, here are a few tips that I wish I knew when I first went:
1) Take the elevator up to the top floor and work your way down. The elevators (they are relatively small, they are always packed and can be slow) are a great way to get to the top, start there and work you way down...by the stairs. Take the elevators if you must, but it is a juggernaut that is going to slow you down.
2) There are two stairwells. One stairwell has men's and then ladies restrooms on every other floor right there on the landing of the stairwell. The other stairwell has a handicap restroom on every floor.
3) It helps if you know your brands and their pricing. It helps to know what kind of deal you are getting and the stuff that is not such a great deal. For example, there is a Lane Crawford Outlet that occupies the entire 25th floor. The $30,000HKD Channel coat at Lane Crawford outlet is then marked down to $12,000HKD. So again, know your brands and their pricing. This might seem like a deal to many, but others might not ever imagine spending that much for a coat, regardless of who made it. So I repeat, you simply have to understand the vast array of brands sold in Horizon Plaza and look for those you know and like.
4) There are several stores that sell multiple brands under one roof. For example, the Imaginex Outlet is one store that sells BCBGMaxazria, Donna Karen, Tumi, and others in the same store. So if you are looking for one brand that does not have their own self standing store in Horizon Plaza, that does not necessarily mean the brand is not sold at Horizon Plaza. Another example, I personally love and wear Vivienne Westwood. There is not a Vivienne Westwood self standing store, but rather her stuff is sold at the Moda Mia Outlet store on floor 27.
5) There are limited options for food and drink. So go having had a meal or a good breakfast. You have to wander down the street to Harbour Industrial Center for something to eat if you are famished. Although it totally looks like a residential building and a warehouse in many ways, there are two cafes inside. One is Artichoke Canteen and can be found on Yelp (3rd Floor).
6) The PRADA outlet is not in Horizon Plaza and not walkable. You would have to hop in a cab to Marina Square maybe 7 minutes away, but still on Ap Lei Chau.
7) I think this trip after Christmas, I saw the biggest discounts. All Vivienne Westwood clothes, shoes and bags at Moda Mia were 90% off. I think this is a holiday thing though, for standard at most outlets is more like 30-50% off regular retail prices during a normal visit not associated with a holiday.
8) We take a cab out here from the Sheung Wan area where we live. The cab costs about $100HKD and is the easiest way to get there. I takes maybe 15 minutes. There is extensive construction on Ap Lei Chau buidling their MTR stop, but that is some time out before that opens (maybe late 2016, or 2017). There is also a shuttle bus option, but I have not taken that, so I cannot speak to it. There is also a big parking garage.
