Editor's note: The following was translated and edited from an article that appeared on the Chinese news site people.com.cn. It reveals the shockingly extensive shopping list of a Chinese woman who travelled to the United States to give birth to her child, and then purchased five years worth of clothing and baby care products to take back with her—enough to fill her own shipping container. According to the article, many Chinese women have similar lists.
Ah, America's post-Thanksgiving/pre-Christmas "shopping season"…makes you want to buy five years worth of stuff at once and ship it back home, right? It does if you're a Mainland Chinese tourist, apparently. As many opportunistic shoppers are often keen to tell reporters in between Black Friday purchases: the more you buy, the more you save.
Ms. Zhang, who went to the U.S. to have her child (now two-months-old), originally planned on returning to China immediately upon giving birth. Then she heard about how "crazy" America's shopping season is, so she decided to postpone her return another month just to get in on the action. Ms. Zhang's shopping list includes practically everything available for purchase in Los Angeles, from household appliances to five years' worth of children's clothing.
They grow up so fast
Witness the dazzling array of items purchased for Ms. Zhang's newborn: milk heaters, breast milk pumps, milk jars, cotton balls, cotton swabs, forty cans of powdered milk (to be saved until after her child is 1 year old), ten large packs of diapers, the list goes on. As Ms. Zhang explains, buying in bulk online saves on shipping costs and the trouble of carrying it all home by herself. Zhang says many of her friends who've gone to the U.S. to have children have crafted similarly epic shopping lists.
Children's clothing, shoes, and everyday items make up another huge category. Ms. Zhang bought infant clothes for her child to grow into from six months all the way to five years old, for all seasons in between, including shoes and socks—over 300 separate pieces of clothing! As Ms. Zhang explains, "children's clothes in Mainland China are really expensive. Even things that are just a little bit better than average quality can cost hundreds of Yuan…But in America you can get perfectly fine quality items for 5-10 USD each. It really makes sense to buy in America; even buying extras to give away to friends isn't a waste of money." Ms. Zhang also told reporters that she'd purchased enough clothes to last her child five years, because when her child is five she'll come back to the U.S. for another "five year" shopping spree.
Buying in bulk
Then there are other miscellaneous but necessary items, like American-made child car seats, including separate models for infants, toddlers, and small child. Ms. Zhang bought two of each, to save the trouble of switching them between her two vehicles back home. Not to mention the baby beds, cradles and high chairs—Ms. Zhang couldn't resist buying just one of each kind. And let's not forget the multitude of walkers and strollers for when the baby is up to 2 years old (Ms. Zhang bought more than 50!), and toys (30+ items). And that's not the last of it. She was also sure to pick up a few "thank you" gifts for her husband (100+ wallets and pairs of shoes) and gifts for her parents and in-laws (100+ bottles of vitamins).
Ms. Zhang told reporters she's already contacted the shipping company about paying for a shipping container to take it all back to China. And after saving so much money during American shopping season, she's decided to spend a few extra weeks buying "just a few" souvenirs for family, friends and coworkers. Better reserve an extra shipping container…
Related links
Foreign Wealth Disparity in China: Income, Perception & Cost of Living
Watch Your Step! A Guide to Shopping Street "Hazards" in China
What You Need to Know About Transferring Money Overseas From China
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Keywords: Chinese shopping sprees in America Chinese tourists Black Friday shopping
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So here's what I thought when I read part of this article
1)"Then there are other miscellaneous but necessary items, like American-made child car seats, including separate models for infants, toddlers, and small child" Which she will never use because people here don't know how to keep their kids in car seats and eventually let them sit in the front seat anyway
2) "Not to mention the baby beds, cradles and high chairs—Ms. Zhang couldn't resist buying just one of each kind" Useless, baby will sleep with grandma until he/she is like 10. Grandma will run after child trying to feed him/her at least until he's 7.
3)" And let's not forget the multitude of walkers and strollers for when the baby is up to 2 years old" Same, Grandma will carry him/her around in her arms for a good five years..but at least she can use the strollers to carry the grocery!
Sorry, given the fact that I am bringing up my baby in China, whenever I read these things I just have to say something!
Dec 10, 2012 05:23 Report Abuse
She goes to the U.S.A. so her baby will have U.S. citizenship but if you marry a Chinese person you never get Chinese citizenship. Not cool, China!
There should be a surcharge for these imported babies.
On another note - she's right. Chinese clothes are junk or grossly expensive. With few exceptions I only buy clothes in the States.
Dec 10, 2012 02:07 Report Abuse
If her husband is pulling in that kind of money, I doubt he even saw her long enough to cuddle after the child was conceived.
Dec 09, 2012 21:43 Report Abuse
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