Our home in the UK is near the Bicester Village outlet shopping center, an amazing place to pick up bargains on designer clothes, shoes, and bags. So imagine my delight when we moved to Beijing four years ago at finding out we would be living close to Beijing Scitech Premium Outlet Mall (Chinese-only website) on Xiangjiang Beilu. But despite covering 150,000sqm, two floors, and 150 stores, it turned out that my expectations were far from met – at least at first.

Levi jeans are a third more expensive than in London and you’ll need to take out a second mortgage to afford a pair of Bally shoes. Unfortunately, the price of luxury goods is already inflated by the time products reach China’s shores due to import taxes, so you won’t get the same discounts you would elsewhere.

A year later, in a desperate bid to find a pair of decent heels for a ball, I gave Scitech another go. I discovered to my delight a Nine West store with fabulous shoes at discounted prices. They’re last season’s styles, but who cares?

Since then, more stores have opened up with lower-end brands offering the best discounts. There are also pop-up stalls dotting the complex selling everything from designer sunglasses to kids’ shoes. If you look hard enough within the higher-end stores, you may actually find a few bargains there too.

Scitech Mall is ideal for an afternoon of browsing. Its open-plan environment is safe for kids to run around, with plenty of clean bathrooms and a few places to eat and drink. If you don’t want to walk from one end to the other, you can always hop on one of the complimentary carts.

Kids’ Clothing
The Gap Outlet has everything you need to kit out your kids, from newborn onesies, vests, and sleep suits to the famous Gap hoodies for every age range and color imaginable. For toddler girls, there are cute skirts, cotton sundresses, leggings, and tops for RMB 99-199. For toddler boys, there are funky t-shirts and cotton shorts for RMB 109-149. For older boys, you can get smart shirts, cotton trousers, and jeans; for the girls, you’ll find cool dresses, skinny fit jeans, and floral flip-flops.

For the summer time, there’s also a good selection of UV rash vests for RMB 129 and board shorts for RMB 149. Moms will find jersey sundresses, cotton a-line skirts, and shorts for RMB 109-209, plus the usual range of classic shirts, jeans, and casual trousers. For dads, there are t-shirts, button-ups, and a variety of trousers.

At the moment, there’s a clearance event on with an additional 40 percent off already discounted clothes. I’ve also seen a promotion where you get 40 percent off if you buy seven items or 30 percent off if you buy five. From June 20-22, you can pick up voucher cards, which will give you RMB 50 off when you spend RMB 350.

Other than Gap, choices for kids are limited. However, current pop-up stores include Naturino with shoes priced between RMB 400-500. There’s also UV swimwear, with tops, shorts, and all-in-ones for RMB 110-190; Nautica kids’ shorts, t-shirts and summer dresses; E-Land Teenie Weenie bear-themed clothing; and Kappa Kids sportswear.

Women’s Clothing
Moms have a few options. At the Diesel store, most items are half price; there’soften an extra discount on top of the tag prices, which the staff doesn’t exactly jump to tell you about. You might get an extra 10-30 percent off. A black silk sleeveless top was RMB 850 (down from RMB 1,700) and a floral silk maxi dress was RMB 1,700 (down from RMB 2,400); there was an extra 20 percent off the dress. Diesel stocks a range of sizes, so it’s not just for the XS ladies. Expect to pay RMB 1,500 for a pair of jeans (both men and women).

Esprit doesn’t stock many of the items you’ll see in their retail stores, which is a shame because the brand seems to have disappeared from Sanlitun Village and Solana. However, they do have casual clothing such as trousers, tops, and skirts with prices comparable to Gap’s. It’s a bit disorganized, with too many items on too many racks, but it’s worth rifling through if you’ve got time to spare.

Ports 1961, a fashion house originally founded in Toronto, specializes in luxury ready-to-wear items. You’ll find beautiful georgette shift dresses and silk-jersey dresses in vibrant colors and patterns, all perfect for a summer occasion. A white short drape dress was RMB 1,979 (down from RMB 3,299), a little black or in red silk dress was RMB 2,289 (down from RMB 3,499), and a banana yellow fitted dress a la Kate Middleton was RMB 1,299 (down from RMB 2,499).This store is worth a visit when the end-of-season sales are on; you can get another 40 percent off – or more – on many of the items.

Men’s Clothing
If it’s simple t-shirts and smart cotton trousers you’re after, head to Calvin Klein, where you can browse a range of t-shirts for RMB 390-590 and light summer trousers for RMB 700-1,200.

If the thought of your better half wearing flip-flops fills you with dread, the Armani store has some very smart black leather sandals at half price. The shop also has a good selection of t-shirts down to RMB 400.

Sportswear
In general, the sportswear selections at Scitech change with the seasons. That’s fine if you do all your exercise outdoors, but trying to find a running vest in February to use in the gym is nigh impossible, so stock up on lightweight clothes now while they’re still available.

Adidas has running tanks as low as RMB 169 and capris for RMB 239. For men, the savings are RMB 100-150 off tops and tracksuit bottoms. There are Stella McCartney tops for RMB 400 and bottoms for RMB 600, which is around a 30 percent saving. The store stocks all the latest running and cross-training shoes from RMB 399-599, about 25-30% off what you’d pay in their flagship Sanlitun store.

The Nike Factory Outlet has an even bigger range of training and running shoes (RMB 499-899), Dri-Fit running tops and capris for RMB 199. For men, golf polo tops and running shorts costRMB 299. You’ll also find everything you need for basketball, tennis and football.

Women’s Shoes
My favorite Nine West store continues to deliver the goods with its own brand and now Steve Madden too. Expect gorgeous, strappy heeled sandals in patent, pastel and print. There are courts, pumps, and in winter fabulous boots, with prices ranging from RMB 300-1,000 per pair.

Stella Luna has a range of wedge-heeled summer sandals for RMB 269-369, strappy heeled sandals for RMB 320 -420, and plenty of flats. For their current promotion, you get RMB 200 off if you spend RMB 1,000; RMB 300 off if you spend RMB 1,500; or RMB 400 off if you spend RMB 2,000.

For Lunch
The bad news is that Burgers and Beer is now closed, which is a real shame since it served decent burgers and was the best lunch option at Scitech. There’s always Starbucks with its usual panini sandwiches, cakes, and pastries. It’s a good choice if you have young kids, as there is a play area right outside.

You can keep an eye on theme whilst sipping your latte on the terrace. If they get too hot on all that plastic play equipment, there are fountains for them to dip their toes in. Subway is also adjacent to the play area and has outdoor seating.

KFC is always packed, mainly with people looking for a cheap ice cream sundae. For a more tasty ice cream option, head next door to Baskin Bobbins; their peanut butter chocolate ice cream is worth a visit to the mall alone.

There is also Danny’s Hotdog Stand, a juice bar and a Belgian waffle house. For Chinese food, there is Gourmet Plaza, which is always full to bursting with locals.

beijingkids Shunyi Correspondent Sally Wilson moved to Beijing in 2010 from the UK with her husband and son. Her daughter was born here in 2011 and both her kids keep her happily busy. In her spare time, Sally loves to stroll through Beijing’s hutongs and parks. She is a (most of the time) keen runner and loves reading: books, magazines, news, and celeb websites – anything really. Sally is also a bit of a foodie and loves trying out new restaurants.

Photos by Sally Wilson

For fashionista moms, there’s only one thing better than buying clothes for yourself: buying clothes for baby. On April 25, Gap is launching a limited-edition GapKids and babyGap collection created by American designer Diane von Furstenberg.  

After the success of last year’s collection when everything sold out after just four days, DvF (as she is known to her fans) and Gap decided to work together again this spring. So you better save the date in your calendar if don’t want to risk finding all the shops already emptied out by other moms.

The collection is for infants to 14 year-old girls (sorry, boys) and will be available in all Gap shops in mainland China, Hong Kong, and as well as in select GapKids, babyGap and DvF stores globally and online.

This collection is designed for adventurous little girls and features bright colors and some of DvF’s iconic wrap dresses, prints, and signature heart motif.

DvF was very happy with last year’s Gap collaboration. “It was so much fun to see little girls wearing the pieces,” she said, and is looking forward to the launch of the collection this April.

Photo courtesy of Gap

When it comes to purchasing items for their kids, foreign parents in Beijing rarely take advantage of low-priced local brands – safety comes first when junior’s concerned, and many parents prefer to spend a little more on imported brands they know they can trust. Of course, Beijing’s expats hail from all over the globe, and different folks are loyal to different labels on the international market. We conducted an informal survey of the city’s families to find out which brands experienced parents seek out, and where they do their shopping. Here’s what we found.

North American Parents
Good quality clothing is getting easier to find in Beijing reports American mom Eliot Bikales. For standard kids’ clothing, Bikales regularly shops at Decathlon. “Their clothes hold up well, and with four active kids, that’s important,” she says. Bikales occasionally finds GAP seconds at local markets or at the stores in Pinnacle Plaza – she likes this brand because there’s no guesswork involved in the sizes. To cater to the more alternative tastes of her 11-year-old daughter Maral, Bikales turns to the Internet, buying goth gear from fashion website Hot Topic.

For sporting gear and clothing, Angela Mueller, also from the States, is another Decathlon fan. “The equipment we bought there a year ago is still in great shape, and the clothes are washing and wearing very well,” she states happily.

For kids’ parties, Mueller shops at Exquisite, and she particularly recommends their Wilton baking supplies. “Exquisite has all kinds of party supplies, children’s custom cakes and decorations. The Wilton baking supplies allow you to create your own cake, which is great fun for kids. They also have classes, which are a great activity for the children as well.”

African Parents
Foreign parents who speak Chinese are often more comfortable buying Chinese brands, observes Cecil Pollydore, a father of three from Guyana. “Those foreigners who travel back and forth will bring things back from home, but those of us who settle in Beijing learn to make do with what is here.”

For the widest range of international kid’s items, he tends to rely on the stores at Scitech Plaza and the Yansha Shopping Mall, although he warns that items bought here are on the expensive side.

“When I first moved to Beijing several years ago, reliable children’s products were hard to find – now, there are more products to choose from every passing day,” says Pollydore. “I find that if you’re willing to go walking and searching through the local markets, you can find good prices and quality.”

Pollydore’s preferred hunting grounds include the Alien Street Market and lesser-known Dongjiao Market (southeast of Soho New Town on Dawang Lu). Some local brands Pollydore has come to trust are Goodbaby (for strollers and other gear) and Anta (for kids‘ shoes). “Anta is cheap, good quality, and not fake,” he reports.

European Parents
Dutch daddy Michael Sahlsberg laments that the “practically indestructible” handmade items like cotton diapers and woolen baby underwear he buys in his wife’s native Sweden aren’t available in Beijing. He manages to import some, however, from Ullrike. But there’s a hazard involved with purchasing this website’s quality clothing: “Your baby won’t need so many layers of clothing and a father on his own will soon find himself cornered by local pensioners screaming ta leng (she’s too cold)!”

Middle Eastern Parents

Peter Marvian from the United Arab Emirates hasn’t yet needed to import any products for young Sam, finding most of his needs answered at supermarkets like Hualian, Carrefour, and Ito Yakado. In terms of specific brands, Marvian goes for the reliable Japanese baby products label Pigeon and for internationally recognized Johnson and Johnson. For strollers and children’s furniture, Marvian is happy with the cheaper stuff on offer at Five Star Market on the North Third Ring Road.

East Asian Parents
Korean products enjoy a good reputation for quality, and Korean import stores in the Wangjing area serve the local Korean community well. Little Soo Hong’s mother, Kandy Choi, shops at Ice Cream for kid’s clothing from Korea. The quality is good, Choi reports, but she warns that the stuff is “not that cheap.”

Like many foreigners in Beijing, local father Li Xianming recommends Johnson and Johnson, saying that it’s the international brand that Chinese parents respect the most. “It’s known to be non-allergenic, and safe for kids with sensitive skin,” he explains. As for local products, he has great respect for San Lu baby milk brand, but now often shops for imported Nestlé. It’s getting easier and easier to buy good imported products in China,” he says, “as smaller supermarkets are now stocking wider varieties and better brands.”