Many people feel summer evenings are much more agreeable than
daytime. It's cooler and the neon lights create a glittering
skyline. So to enjoy the evening, some prefer to have fun and stay
up until late at night. In case that they may need some snacks,
drinks or things urgently to have fun, both Beijing and Shanghai
have many convenience stores operating around the clock to serve
their needs at any hour.
Beijing
Seven-Eleven
Seven-Eleven has lots of food on hand, like instant noodles,
biscuits, potato chips, chewing gum, as well as magazines,
newspapers, hair care products, batteries, cigars, beer and even
Chinese Maotai wine, which is a must for a formal Chinese
banquet.
Seven-Eleven features fresh -made food as well as fresh local
food, such as deep-fried dough sticks, soybean milk, hot rice
porridge, and various breads.
Location: No.5 Dongzhimei Neidajie, Dongcheng
District
Tel: 010-84060189
BeijingGreen Tree
Market
Green Tree Market features Korean goods ranging from food to
things for daily use. Here ice cream lovers can find original
Korean ice cream which are reasonably priced, about 10 yuan
each.
Green Tree Market also has a counter dedicated to Korean skin
care product line The Face Shop, which aren't too expensive.
Shoppers who are hungry late at night can also find fresh sushi
here, which are made by chefs on the spot.
Location: No.18 Wangzhuanglu, Wudaokou, Haidian
District
Tel: 010-62318113
Hi-24
This is the favorite spot of middle school students who come
here for lunch.
Hi-24 stores are usually not big and things here are priced a
bit higher than most other convenient stores. Yet here shoppers can
always find the latest snacks and drinks. Besides, at Hi-24 stores
shopper can also recharge their IC bus transportation card
here.
Location: No.178 Di'anmen Waidajie, Xicheng
District
Tel: 010-64045257
Shanghai
C-Store
C-Store is most famous for its food, ranging from the most
common guandongzhu, skewers of meat balls or seafood cooked in a
big pot, to some snacks rarely seen in convenience stores like
curry fish balls and spicy fish balls. C-Store also features a good
selection of various breads.
In addition, C-Store has regular promotions which helps shoppers
feel like their money is better spent here.
Location: No.3313 Hongmeilu, Minhang
District
Tel: 021-64015329
Lawson
Lawson is well known for its various snacks, but different from
C-Store's Chinese food dominated selection. Lawson's food is more
exotic, as sushi is its signature food. The 16-pack features four
different kinds of rolls, while the 4-pack is priced at only 4
yuan.
Lawson also boasts a wide variety of sandwiches. The all-wheat
tuna sandwich is its best seller. Soybean ice cream is Lawson's
specialty and it's quite popular among girls on a diet.
Location: No.341 Wusonglu, Hongkou District
Tel: 021-63561623
All Days
These stores are normally a bit larger than typical convenience
stores. What sells best at All Days is its rice and eggs, which are
a bit cheaper than most other convenience stores. That's because
All Days is affiliated with the agricultural, industrial and
business government department. Its dairy counter is also popular
among shoppers. The best-selling snack to go are tea-preserved
eggs.
Location: No.375 Ouyanglu, Hongkou District
Tel: 021-65223274
(China Daily July 11, 2007)