Shanghai – Best Baby Shopping

When most people think of shopping of China, two words come to mind: cheap and fake. This is true if that’s what you are looking for. But Shanghai is different from Beijing in that the city has more upscale lifestyle options, in keeping with its reputation as the Paris of the East. So here you can find exclusive boutiques, as well as your everyday stuff, and you won’t have to look very far for either!

XinTianDi: All cabbies and hotels will know this square in the french-concession area as it is peppered with expats, many international brands (Sisley, Stella Luna, Nine West) and upscale local stores (Annabelle Lee). Its wide pedestrian streets, outdoor seating, fountains and live music performances made it a great and convenient place for us to take Karam. The highlight was stumbling into exclusive kids’ shoe store, Fiona’s Prince. Gorgeous shoes will set you back RMB 500-700 (gulp!) but if you value shoes the way I do, and consider that they are only available in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, it suddenly becomes quite worth it. Very well-made leather shoes in imaginative colors and styles. Definitely worth a look (or two, or three, as I did!)

When you are done shopping, you can avail of the 100s of dining options or stop in for world-famous dumplings at Din Tai Fung, but make sure to put your name down 15-20 minutes in advance.


Bao Da Xiang Mall for Kids: Literally means “kids grow up with good luck”, but to me, it’s more like “kids grow up with good stuff”. Six storeys (there are apparently two levels of amusement and karaoke which I did not see) of children’s clothes, shoes, socks, toys, nursery goods, electronics, prams, you name it. You will find international brands like Disney, Osh Kosh, and Esprit intermixed with local names. While you can spend hours there (and we did), it is ironically the least baby-friendly mall I have ever seen! Had to get a man to help me up the main stairs as there was no ramp to enter the mall, and the one small elevator in an unmarked corner led out to another flight of stairs which two old ladies were kind enough to help me down!! Paradise for kids, though! On Nanjing Road, in downtown Shanghai.

TaiKang Road: Although this one won’t be on your usual tourist route, it’s one of Shanghai’s treasures, I think. Small alleyways packed with bars, cafes and some exquisite clothes, homewares and art. Tons of little boutiques for kids, particularly great place to buy cashmere sweaters, scarves and hats. (no pics, sorry! was too enamored with it all to stop and be a tourist!)