Undoubtedly, every person has to buy things from time to time. In fact, for some people, it is only a part of a daily activity that needs to be done to supply them with necessities. At the same time, others get a lot of pleasure wandering around stores or searching stuff on the Internet, very often without any purpose.
But this article is not only about buying clothes or shoes, but in general tips and my experience of shopping in Taiwan in different areas of life. Because shopping in each country is different from what we are used to.
Shopping for Personal care & Medicines
Let's start with perhaps the more important things in my opinion, such as medicines and personal care products. Firstly, if for health reasons you are prescribed to take any kind of medicine on an ongoing basis, then I would advise you to purchase medicines that are exactly suitable for you in a large enough volume and bring them with you (the amount allowed by law).
Since, I can say from my own experience that not all analogues are compatible as well. I have chronic sinusitis and because of long flights it got worse upon arrival here, after quarantine I went to the doctor, but unfortunately the drops and medicines that I was prescribed did not help and I was sick for a long time until they were changed to others. I didn't have my medicines with me.
My favourite brands in Taiwan
Also, it is worth remembering that, unlike in my country, most medicines, ointments and other things are issued strictly by prescription. The best option is to consult with a local doctor and test the medicines prescribed by him and look at the state of health, but just in case, have medicines in stock that are exactly right for you.
Also, of course, take a first aid kit with you. Secondly, this advice is more for girls, although to some extent it is also suitable for guys - I advise you to take with you all the cosmetic and perfumery products that you love or use on a regular basis, at least for the first time: perfume, foundation, face cream and more.
Sometimes it is not always easy to find your favourite brands in Taiwan. In Asia, skin care cosmetics with a whitening effect are preferred, which is not suitable for everyone. Therefore, it is also not so easy to find a suitable foundation for darker shades. For example, I have rather dark skin and I use the Estee Lauder brand foundation, but many stores do not have my shade because it is not popular and is not ordered so often.
Also, the currency of my country is inferior to the Taiwanese dollar, so buying branded cosmetics here is twice as expensive for me. When I first arrived, I brought only one package, I had to ask my friend to mail everything to me and wait more than a month. But in general, I can say that there is a very large selection of decorative and care cosmetics, you just need to choose the right one for you, which can take some time, and if you do not want to be left without care products, then you should think about it in advance.
Large shopping mall in Hsinchu
Next, I would like to talk about buying clothes, accessories, shoes and more. Like most girls, I like to go shopping from time to time for fun or relaxation. And Taiwan has a really great selection of clothes. You can buy things online, in big malls, small shops, many concept stores, night markets and so on.
However, there is only one large shopping mall in Hsinchu with popular shops from the mass market segment. If you want to go shopping, it is better to go to Taipei or Taichung. Online shopping is very popular here: delivery can be ordered and paid for at the nearest convenient store and it will arrive in a very short period of time. Often, ordering online is much cheaper and there is more choice.
However, as with any online shopping, it's hard to guess the right size. For example, I'm 175 cm tall and 8.5-9 shoe size, so I try not to order pants or shoes, they usually come short and small in size. But if you are a standard size, then most likely there will be no problems, and returning things here is very simple. My favourite online shopping sites are Shane and Shopee.
Always open, 7-11
Last but not least is grocery shopping. In Taiwan, literally on every corner there is a convenience store that is open 24/7. There you can find almost all essentials and a large selection of ready-made food. However, if you want to cook at home or choose from more foods, it's best to go shopping at a large grocery store or market.
The prices are also significantly cheaper. Speaking of markets: there are morning and night markets. Typically, morning markets sell vegetables, fruits, nuts, and condiments. Night markets sell more ready-made food, but the choice is very large. I watch my diet, I try to eat only balanced food.
Also, I don't eat other types of meat other than poultry. A lot of the food that is sold on the street is fried, so I either buy ready-made chicken at 7/11 or cook it myself. The choice of fish and seafood in Hsinchu is not very large, so I hardly eat them. Very often I buy some products in small Thai stores, prices are 2-3 times cheaper than in large grocery stores. It is very convenient that one of these stores is located near the campus and it works around the clock.
To sum it all up, it takes time to adapt and build a comfortable lifestyle, but in Taiwan this process is very fast.
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