Anything made outside of China in the shops (Lacoste/French Connection/Estee Lauder etc) is more expensive due to the import duty so best to buy at home but because a lot of things for sale in the shops *are* made in China, they are cheaper, so it depends. For me however this is a moot point because i can't fit in any of the clothes anyway! Local food however is quite cheap - a meal out for Matt and I was about £3. Imports such as coffee are expensive because they are aimed at visitors not locals (ARGH).