Shopping in Chinese supermarkets feels like a crash course in a new culture: products are unfamiliar, systems for weighing and payment differ, and helpful English signage is inconsistent.
With the right approach you’ll save time, avoid awkward lines, and discover great ingredients and snacks you didn’t know you needed.
This guide condenses practical tips, cultural context, and a reproducible shopping routine you can use anywhere in China.
Quick overview: what to expect
- Store types: local wet markets, neighborhood supermarkets, mid-size chains, and large hypermarkets.
- Common quirks: self-weighing of produce, separate counters for fresh meat/seafood, frequent in-aisle tasting tables, and mobile-payment dominance.
- Key skills to learn: reading basic Chinese labels, using a digital wallet (WeChat Pay or Alipay), and identifying fresh produce by season and appearance.
Store types and where to go
Neighborhood convenience and small supermarkets
These are the fastest for daily staples like eggs, milk, instant noodles, and snacks.
They often have limited produce and few imported items. They’re great for last-minute needs and quick trips.
Mid-size chains and local supermarkets
These offer a balance of local items, some imported goods, produce, and chilled goods.
Expect occasional English labels in big-city branches.
Hypermarkets and imported grocery stores
Large stores and import specialists carry a wide range of foreign brands, bulk goods, and specialty items.
Prices can be higher but selection is far broader. SmartShanghai lists many imported grocery options across Shanghai for expat shoppers; use those to find specialty stores when you need Western ingredients.
Wet markets (fresh produce, meat, fish)
Open-air or covered markets focused on very fresh produce and live/whole seafood.
Prices can be better and variety excellent, but language and bargaining skills help.
Shopping routine: a step-by-step workflow
1. Plan two lists: essentials and curiosity items
- Essentials list: staples you use every week (rice, cooking oil, soy sauce, eggs, tofu).
- Curiosity list: one or two new things to try (a sauce, snack, or vegetable). Limiting curiosity items keeps shopping focused while encouraging local discovery.
2. Bring reusable bags and small cash (just in case)
Plastic bags are often charged; many shoppers bring their own.
While mobile payment is ubiquitous, smaller vendors or markets may prefer cash.
3. Enter, orient, and note the scale stations
Take 30 seconds to locate the produce scales and weighing stations—Chinese supermarkets commonly require customers to weigh and label produce before checkout rather than relying on a cashier to weigh everything at the register.
4. Produce: weigh and tag before checkout
Bag produce first, find the weighing station, place the bag on the scale, print the price sticker, and attach the sticker to the bag.
This step prevents last-minute runs back to the produce area and long lines at checkout.
5. Fresh counters: queue and point
For fresh meat, fish, and deli items there are usually dedicated counters.
Point, use numbers, or show a photo on your phone for clarity.
6. Packaged goods: read labels quickly
Learn key label words for allergens, sugar, salt, and expiry.
See the label-reading section below for a compact cheat sheet.
7. Checkout: prepare to pay with QR codes
Mobile wallets like WeChat Pay and Alipay are everywhere.
If you use cash or a foreign card, plan for longer queues or use a hypermarket that accepts international cards.
8. Self-checkout and bagging
Self-checkout exists in many urban supermarkets.
If you must bag your own items, do it efficiently: heavy items at the bottom, chilled items last (or in an insulated bag).
Reading labels fast: essentials for expats
Key label terms to know
- 保质期 / 有效期 (bao zhi qi / you xiao qi) — expiry date
- 生产日期 (sheng chan ri qi) — manufacture date
- 配料表 (pei liao biao) — ingredients list
- 净含量 (jing han liang) — net weight
- 储存方法 (chu cun fang fa) — storage instructions
- 过敏原 (guo min yuan) — allergens
- 糖/盐/油 (tang/yan/you) — sugar/salt/oil
Learning these allows you to check freshness, allergens, and serving sizes without a dictionary.
Produce and fresh goods: picking like a local
Vegetables and fruit
Look for firmness, bright colors, and minimal soft spots.
Ask vendors for recommendations by season—they often suggest best cooking methods.
Note that some items (like lemons vs limes) may differ in color or usage; locals might use a green citrus where you expect a yellow lemon.
Meat, fish, and seafood
Fresh fish often still has clear eyes and firm flesh.
If buying live seafood, ask the vendor to slaughter and clean it on-site.
Use dedicated counters in supermarkets for specific cuts and processed items.
Dairy and chilled items
Refrigeration standards are high in chain supermarkets.
In smaller shops or wet markets, check cold-chain integrity and expiry dates.
Payment methods and tipping points
Mobile payments dominate urban China; set up WeChat Pay or Alipay with a local bank card or linked international card where possible.
Many imported or international chains may accept cards, but smaller markets and vendors may not.
Cash remains useful in markets and small neighborhood shops.
Labels, packages, and translation tools
Use technology wisely
Photo-translate features in phone cameras and messaging apps are fast.
Scanning an ingredients list gets you the gist, but verify freshness and storage instructions.
Common packaging conventions
Look for clear expiration and manufacturing dates, and for vacuum-sealed or Nitrogen-flushed packaging for snacks and dried goods.
For fresh tofu or chilled items, check for bulging packaging which indicates spoilage.
How to find western and specialty items
Hypermarkets and imported grocery stores are the primary source for Western staples.
Local listings and community forums (city-specific directories) help you find stores that stock the brands you want.
For Shanghai, SmartShanghai and other city guides list imported grocery shops and specialty markets that carry American, European, Japanese, and Korean brands.
What to do when you don’t understand the product
Ask staff, show a photo, or search the ingredient name using your phone.
Many packaged items also include English words for key features (e.g., “salmon,” “cheese”) especially in imported sections.
Try small portions or sample packs before committing to large quantities.
Price expectations and bargaining
Supermarkets set fixed prices; wet markets sometimes allow room to negotiate, especially when buying in bulk or during slow business hours.
Compare unit prices and check per-100g or per-kilogram labels to calculate best value.
Food safety, freshness and expiry practices
Learn how to read production and expiry dates.
For fresh produce, use smell and texture as primary checks.
For packaged foods, be cautious with suspiciously low prices on high-value imported items—this can indicate grey-market goods with compromised cold chains.
Cultural etiquette and practical tips
Keep movements efficient in crowded aisles; shoppers may be purpose-driven and queues are taken seriously.
When tasting free samples, accept politely or decline with a nod.
When using scales and stickers, place bags gently to avoid damaging delicate produce.
Table: Quick comparison of common grocery store types
| Store type | Typical offerings | Best for | Payment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Convenience / mini-market | Snacks; basic groceries; some chilled drinks | Fast top-ups | Cash; mobile pay |
| Neighborhood supermarket | Daily staples; moderate produce; regional brands | Weekly essentials | Mobile pay; some accept cards |
| Chain supermarket / hypermarket | Full grocery range; imports; bulk | One-stop weekly shop | Mobile pay; cards usually ok |
| Imported grocery store | Foreign brands; specialty items | Western ingredients; specialty diets | Cards often accepted; mobile pay |
| Wet market | Fresh produce, meat, seafood | Best prices; freshest local produce | Cash; mobile pay increasingly accepted |
Sources: SmartShanghai eChinacities.com echinacities.net.
Smart shopping: labels, unit prices and expiration tricks
Calculate unit prices shown on shelf labels to compare multi-pack savings versus single items.
For products with long shelf lives, check the production date and storage instructions rather than trusting a far-off expiry.
For chilled or frozen imported goods, prefer large chain stores with visible cold chains.
Snacks, seasonals, and the joy of discovery
Chinese supermarkets are full of regional snacks, seasonal flavors, and limited-run products.
Try one new snack per trip to build palate familiarity.
Many expats find staples like soy sauces, chili pastes, fermented bean curd, and pickled vegetables become kitchen staples once tried.
Brands and condiments every expat should try
- Soy sauce and vinegars: master a few local labels and a rice vinegar for dressings.
- Chili pastes: from mild to fermented, these add depth to soups and marinades.
- Bean pastes and doubanjiang: essential for many regional dishes.
- Instant noodles and dumpling wrappers: useful convenience items with local twists.
Language: phrases that save time
- 请问在哪里 (qing wen zai na li) — where is…?
- 多少钱 (duo shao qian) — how much?
- 可以刷卡吗 (ke yi shua ka ma) — can I pay by card?
- 我想要这个 (wo xiang yao zhe ge) — I want this (pointing works too).
- 请称一下 (qing cheng yi xia) — please weigh (useful at produce counters).
Common pitfalls and how to avoid them
- Missing the produce scale and getting charged differently at checkout — always weigh first.
- Relying only on English signage — many products lack English labels so bring translation tools or learn label basics.
- Expecting the same brand availability across cities — selection varies widely by city and district, so plan for substitutions.
How to shop for special diets
Gluten-free, vegan, kosher, and halal options exist but are concentrated in large cities and import stores.
Look for clear allergen and certification labels, and buy from trusted chains to reduce risk.
Online grocery shopping and delivery
Major apps provide fast delivery for fresh produce and refrigerated goods; use local platforms recommended by expat communities or city-specific listings for best reliability.
Delivery options may include scheduled time windows or fast delivery within an hour in some urban areas.
Community resources and where to find help
Expat forums, local social media groups, and community blogs often publish updated lists of stores that stock specific items (e.g., certain cheeses, baby formulas, or specialty flours).
City-specific guides like eChinacities offer practical tips from experienced expats on supermarket behavior and expectations.
Final checklist for a smooth trip
- Bring reusable bags and a translation app.
- Prepare your mobile wallet or small cash.
- Weigh and label produce before checkout.
- Check production and expiry dates on packaged items.
- Try one new item per trip and bring curiosity.
Closing: turn grocery shopping into exploration
Shopping in Chinese supermarkets quickly becomes an enjoyable part of life in China once you adopt a few routines and learn label basics.
Treat it like a weekly cultural scavenger hunt: efficient on essentials, curious about a couple of new things, and prepared with payment and translation tools.
Over time you’ll build a reliable set of go-to stores and items that match your taste and kitchen style.
Sources and further reading
- https://www.echinacities.com/expat-life/6-Tips-for-Navigating-the-Chinese-Supermarket
- https://www.echinacities.net/expat-life/How-to-Navigate-a-Chinese-Supermarket
- https://cookingwithlane.com/navigating-asian-grocery-stores/
- https://www.smartshanghai.com/listings/shopping/imported_groceries/
- https://omf.org/us/an-expats-guide-to-survive-grocery-shopping/
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