Shopping in Taiwan

Shopping is convenient and prices are extremely competitive. Numerous International retail outlets as Carre Four and B & Q make shopping fun. Supermarkets, shopping malls and department stores offer a full range of commodities, Chinese and foreign brands – from cosmetics , daily use articles, garments and home electric appliances to self - service corners, and restaurants and coffee bars are usually attached where you can drop by for a quick bite. Also there’s a commercial centre nearby. Carre Four being one such store and each such store comprises of about five different levels ranging from household appliances, right through to clothing and automotive accessories.

Garments

You can find several options for the purchase of clothing in Taiwan. The street market is bustling with clothes venders and there are numerous department stores displaying fashions from New York, Paris and Tokyo. Other options include clothing chains extended from the West. Benetton, DKNY and Armani tip the "up-scale" end of stores, while NET is the local equivalent of America’s Gap or England’s Next. Naturally, Taiwan is an odd sister to Asia’s shopping Mecca, Hong Kong. Though you can find practically anything to wear, most Westerners can’t fit into it (hair shirts non-withstanding. You might not get clothes your size, although it is possible to buy imported clothes (at a price), the cheaper Taiwanese-made clothes tend to come in relatively small sizes. For example, if you purchase a T-shirt that says XL, odds are it wears like a medium. Shoes are an even bigger problem. The solution is fairly basic: if you wear big sizes, bring the things that you think will be hard to replace after your arrival. Generally, jackets and shorts are plentiful and come in all sorts of sizes. Big T-shirts and casual shirts are also available with a little hunting. Casual long pants, khakis or slacks are once again something of a hunt, but are certainly available. Shoes present a real challenge because selection is fantastic up to a men’s size ten, but thins terribly every size above ten and a half. In the past one’s only recourse was either a trip to Hong Kong, or a shopping trip to an area north of Taipei (Tienmu) known for catering to Western sizes in fashion. The down side of the latter was the cost incurred for shopping in an area known for catering to Westerner sizes in fashion!

Of late however, the trend has begun to turn. Shoes are becoming increasingly varied and reasonably priced. Doc Martin has opened branches, as have Timberland, Nike and Rockport. Like shoes, other articles are following suit (no pun intended). In an interesting footnote, it has been noted that the Taiwanese people are in general growing to larger sizes. Six-foot high school youths are no longer uncommon (see Fast Food). As a result, larger sizes are becoming more readily obtainable to the general public.

It should be stated that most clothes shopping, especially in light of the above, is done in the larger cities. Rural areas simply do not offer either the sizes or quality that most Western travelers require. This is not as great a problem as it reads, however, as cities are at most a few hours away. Not unlike Europe, America or Canada, people often make a weekend of shopping trips into the city.

Don’t trust tags and measurements. Always try the article on before you buy it. At the very least, make sure your shirt has room for two arms and a head, and isn’t really a pair of mislabeled dungarees.

Cosmetics

Though this is another market growing at an extraordinary rate, cosmetics are not really cheap. The Body Shop is 3 times more expensive here than in England. Taiwan is well stocked with bathing products. Body soaps, facial creams and shampoos are available in every conceivable form. The less expensive materials are generally local, entirely adequate products.

Electronics

Electronic merchandise is not especially cheap (seeing as it is all made here), but is certainly readily available. There are lots of chain and private electrical stores around the island. Shop around for special deals. There are chain stores, private venders and used appliance places. Check the materials carefully before purchasing an expensive, "high-end" electronic component. TVs, radios, VCRs, CD Players, cameras and video game systems are all prevalent and affordable throughout Taiwan.

Computers

There are thousands of computer shops and finding supplies is not a problem. If you want to buy one here, you’ll probably end up buying a no name Taiwanese brand. These systems are usually assembled for you according to your specifications. They are cheaper, and as long as you get a guarantee, will serve you well. It’s probably a good idea to bring software with you however, as English language software is not that easy to find and certainly not cheap.