I admit it. I buy my underwear at Marks & Spencer. Always have done, whether in Hong Kong or England, because they are good quality and don’t fall to bits after two machine washes. Unless you have time to scour the Wan Chai outlet shops, there’s actually not much alternative in Hong Kong. Normally, I give little thought to the price, because it’s good old M&S, isn’t it? They would never take advantage of their loyal customers. Well that’s what you’d think.
Nasty surprise
So, after HSBC finally decided to give me some of my own money, I went shopping last week in M&S in Taunton, south west England, and headed back to Hong Kong loaded up with supplies of socks, tights and knickers.
The packs of five knickers cost pounds 12 and 7 respectively, the socks pounds 4 for five pairs, and the tights pounds 5 for a three-pair pack.
Wandering through M&S in Central a few days later I spotted the same five-pack of knickers, the “low rise shorts” with lace top. The ones that cost pounds 12 in England. They were HK$329, or pounds 27. (dividing by 12) It must be a mistake. But no, the other five-pair pack that set me back a modest pounds 7 in Taunton was a whopping HK$259 or pounds 21.57 in M&S here. Three times the price! The English ones had been made in Cambodia and Bangladesh, the Hong Kong ones in Sri Lanka and India. The English ones had actually travelled further to the shop.
No golden gussets
