Even before economic reforms in China kicked into high gear in the 1990s, Shanghai was a shopper's city. All across the country the Chinese dreamed of making one visit to the great port, not to sightsee, but to shop. Anything made and sold in Shanghai, it seems, had to be the best; non-Shanghai goods were by definition inferior -- and this reputation for the best goods and great shopping persists today, with shoppers now able and willing to indulge in everything from uniquely Chinese products to international brand-name items, at venues ranging from modern department stores to open-air markets and sidewalk stalls. Even if you have no interest in doing your part for the Chinese economic miracle, it's still worth entering the fray (preferably with all your wits, commercial and otherwise, sharpened) to witness, if not join in, Shanghai's favorite pastime.
