Consignment in Hong Kong is unbelievably creative
March 25, 2019
This article has been updated from the original in July, 2015
Consignment in Hong Kong is for true treasure hunters
My husband and I traveled to Hong Kong in 1990 and were amazed at the number of people, apartment buildings and shops residing there. With a population of almost 7.5 million in an area of only 405 sq miles, real estate in Hong Kong is a premium. It is extremely difficult to open a full-scale consignment or resale shop in the popular shopping districts. So, consignment in Hong Kong has come up with a very creative solution…the “Cube” shop.
The Consignor
According to 12hk.com, at Cube Shops “anyone can get store space and open for business to sell on consignment.” Like our booth space in an antique mall (although on a much smaller scale), consignment cubes rent on a monthly basis. Vendors choose small plastic “depots” about one cubic foot in size. There can be as many as 100 cubes in a shop. The vendor/consignor displays their merchandise with price tags and the shopkeeper manages the sale.
Merchandising
According to a Wikipedia article on Cube Shops, the rent varies depending on the placement of your consignment “cube.” Like our grocery stores, the premium shelf space is at eye level. The boxes placed at the middle of the column are therefore the most expensive. It appears some cube renters also use their consignment cubes to promote samples of more items they offer online.
Management
As with consignment shops in the USA, consignment in Hong Kong offers Consignor Access. It’s a “comprehensive online system for renters to check the quantity of products sold and profits every day.” Like here, consignors choose the cube location and the merchandise offered based on the demographics of the shoppers in that area. Cubes are particularly appealing to the younger generation who just want to make a few extra HKD (Hong Kong Dollars).
Consignment in Hong Kong
Still, there are some phenomenal full-scale consignment shops in Hong Kong. Closeteur lists a number of vintage and consignment shops in the area. Luxury consignment shops like Milan Station offer beautiful Chanel bags. The Green Ladies also has a kid’s shop called Green Little. With a mere 121,000 likes on their Facebook page, Midwest Vintage appears to be a popular one. It was opened back in 1993 and is touted as the “oldest secondhand fashion store in Hong Kong.” They specialize in vintage American clothing (currently promoting fanny packs in a variety of colors), especially Levi’s and 80’s T-shirts.
Hong Kong is a shopper’s dream. Whether you shop from a store, a “cube” or the vendor on the street, your senses are bombarded with colors, noise and opportunities. If you go, make sure consignment is on your list. Read more about consignment shops around the world.
