Name (English): Island Beverley & LAFORET
Name (Chinese): 金百利及東角
Category: Markets & Malls
Phone Number: +852 28906823
Address (English): Island Beverley – 1 Great George St, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Address (Chinese): 銅鑼灣計利佐治街1號
Address Google Map Link: https://goo.gl/maps/HHrFt2EVR4xArdc8A
Address longitude and latitude: 22.280416962903864, 114.18503380316108
Nearest MTR Station: Causeway Bay Station Exit E
Nearest MTR Station Google Map Link: https://goo.gl/maps/Er47QPCZrPtHkmTG9
Nearest MTR Station longitude and latitude: 22.280402954121254, 114.18503784931323
How far from the nearest MTR Station: 2-minute walk from Causeway Bay Station Exit E
Opening Hours:
MON 11:00 -22:00
TUE 11:00 -22:00
WED 11:00 -22:00
THU 11:00 -22:00
FRI 11:00 -22:00
SAT 11:00 -22:00
SUN 11:00 -22:00
Recommended Time to Visit: 15:00-20:00
Accessibility Note: easy access
Situated at the center of Causeway Bay, Island Beverley and LAFORET are two shopping arcades that were once the trendiest place to do shopping in Hong Kong Island. Their development marks the changing shopping habits that continue to shape the district.
First launched in the 1980s, Island Beverly preceded LAFORET as one of Causeway Bay’s major shopping arcades for daily wears. In the mid-1990s following the opening of LAFORET, the two arcades became connected to SOGO, the district’s signature department store across the road. From then on, they have developed themselves into the go-to places for the latest trends. With over 300 shops altogether, the arcades feature boutiques that mainly retail imported fashion from Japan and Korea. They soon attracted a niche young customer base eager to establish their identities. Compared to their counterparts in the 1980s, this generation of youth has benefited from the rapid development of the city. Equipped with better resources, they were ready to spend money on foreign fashion that set them apart from others.
With the rise of online shopping, however, the arcades are losing their edge. The trendy boutiques that once marked the place have given way to empty spaces waiting to be leased. The stylish crowd that once flocked the venues now sits comfortably in front of their shopping sites. At Island Beverley, there used to be 4 floors of boutiques. Now 2 of them have been converted into a restaurant. Gone were the golden days of the arcades which remain vivid in the minds of many who grew up with them.
One of the few shops that managed to survive all these years is not a boutique. Rather, it is a puzzle shop called Puzzle King, located on the 2nd floor of Island Beverley. First opened 25 years ago, it was the first shop to specialize in puzzles in Hong Kong. With puzzles from all over the world, the shop has withstood the challenge of time. Nowadays, you can also bring your own picture there to customize your puzzle!
With the development of online shopping, the need for retail shops has shrunken. How these small shopping arcades find their way out will be the next challenge. Failing to reinvent themselves, they may end up being taken down by key developers and refurbished into large, dazing-chained stores. Let’s hope they can find a position in the new era soon as they have always done.
#Causewaybay #Shopping #clothes #puzzle #shoppingcenter #shoppingparadise #books #discoverhongkong #explorehongkong #visithongkong #hongkongtravel #ilovehongkong #hkshopping #hkshops #hkshop #attractions #hongkongattractions
