In pictures: Hong Kong’s family-run stores through the decades
Before Hong Kong became dominated by the likes of Wellcome and ParknShop, neighbourhoods were served by corner shops like these ones
Long before chain supermarkets and convenience stores became the norm, small family-run shops were fixtures of Hong Kong’s neighbourhoods. Stocked with rice, soy sauce and other household staples, they were sites of vibrant exchanges in the local community.
These stores provided affordable daily goods to their customers, and brought in a steady stream of income for small business owners. They were an essential part of everyday life for Hongkongers. Today, the number of these shops across Hong Kong has dwindled as residents acquire most of their goods from grocery chains.
Drawn from the South China Morning Post archives, these photographs offer a window into the city’s corner stores – as well as a look at their shopkeepers and customers – from the 1960s to the 2010s.
