New Hong Kong shopping centre on border struggles to draw mainland shoppers – or anyone else

Mainlanders who flood across the border to buy goods say they are unaware of the centre as shop owners at The Boxes are on edge from a lack of sales

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So Fu-kit rides mini-karts at The Boxes near the Shenzhen border. Despite his smile, he wished he had more people to race with. Photo: Su Xinqi

Published: 5:00pm, 16 Feb 2018Updated: 5:56pm, 16 Feb 2018

After six rounds of mini-karting at The Boxes – Hong Kong’s first shopping centre located close to the Shenzhen border in San Tin, aimed to attract mainland shoppers – young So Fu-kit declared: “It is so boring!”

The nine-year-old boy did not have much fun playing alone, as he was the only one on the racing course that afternoon on February 9, a Friday, when all kindergartens and primary schools were in an early Lunar New Year break in an effort to curb the spread of flu.

Business was so slow that the young man looking after the course was able to join So in a race – much to the boy’s delight.

So Fu-kit had the track all to himself. Photo: Su Xinqi

So, whose mother works in a clothing shop in the shopping centre, said he would not recommend his schoolmates to come, though he wished for more playmates.

“My friends live in Shenzhen and I don’t want them to waste money on transport – how can we have fun here with so few people?” the boy asked.

New Hong Kong shopping centre on border struggles to draw mainland shoppers – or anyone else

Mainlanders who flood across the border to buy goods say they are unaware of the centre as shop owners at The Boxes are on edge from a lack of sales

Operator of Hong Kong’s The Boxes mall near Shenzhen border scrambles to meet soft launch deadline after Christmas