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Zhang is happy to see increasingly more curious young customers. 'The atmosphere is authentic because the shop really existed for all these years, not recreated for the sake of attracting customers.' 'It's quite cool to see such a nostalgic shop in downtown Shanghai,' she said, while posing for a photo outside the shop. Some also posed for selfies, like 23-year-old Sally Zhao. Most were older people and returning customers like Wang, with an occasional mix of young first-comers looking around the place with curiosity. Zhang talked with Shanghai Daily amidst a constant inflow of customers. I have moved long ago and it takes an hour to get here now, but I'm used to it.' 'I can't exactly remember my first visit, but it was in my childhood with my parents. 'I come here every few weeks to get a supply of some traditional brands,' said Wang Zhenling, a 58-year-old retired teacher who used to live nearby. Most customers pay by cash and Zhang writes down every transaction in a little blue book. It has no online shop, nor any social media accounts. The shop is somewhat 'anti-trend' in the digital age. Some of them have been shopping here for decades.' The majority of our customers are middle-aged and older people.

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He added: 'Don't forget the older people who don't know how to shop online, don't trust e-commerce or can't pay with a mobile phone. You can't find them anywhere else, online or offline.' 'Some goods are too cheap or considered outdated so online vendors don't bother to supply them, while some others are specially ordered by me, according to my observation of changing customer demands. 'Many people think we can buy everything online nowadays. The Beijing Department Store, located on Beijing Road E. Instead of a large department store occupying several floors, it is more like a small corner shop selling hundreds of different items. It is named Beijing for its location at the corner of Beijing Road E.

Now his monthly pay is 'quite good,' according to him.ĭespite the name, it is neither Beijing nor a department store. Wearing oversleeves and the shop's specially ordered 'fake collars,' Zhang has been standing behind the counter of the Beijing Department Store for 44 years, rising from an apprentice with a monthly pay of 17.8 yuan (US$2.75) to its manager. So they add a 'fake collar' on top of their casual T-shirts.

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They show off to family and friends because of its uniqueness.'Īnother large group of customers who buy 'fake collars' from the shop are cab drivers or guards who are required to wear collared shirts but prefer more comfortable T-shirts. Now again, many old people can't find 'fake collars' anywhere else. Later, people gradually became ashamed for wearing it.

'At its peak in the 1970s, young men and women queued up for this fashionable item. 'In a 'fake collar,' there is a changing taste and history of the city,' said store manager Zhang Lehua. Shanghai Daily searched for 'fake collars' on various e-commerce sites, and the few results showed fashionable accessories like half-vest or wide belts, not the traditional ones that the corner shop sells – more than 3,000 pieces a year. Locals also called it an 'economic collar.' 'Fake collars' were invented by Shanghai locals decades ago so they could appear presentable, while also saving money by changing and washing only the collar instead of an entire shirt. The cheapest is a sewing needle for 1 yuan (15 US cents), and the most popular are chamber pots and short vest-like detachable 'fake collars.' A 66-year-old Shanghai corner shop primarily targeting older customers is trending on social media for its nostalgic setting and merchandise that many youngsters have only seen on TV.

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