New Shanghai Shop: Sido

Since the crackdown on unlicensed bars last summer, Yongkang Lu has transformed into a quaint little street with roadside cafes, teashops, eateries and design shops of all shapes and colors.

One of the new additions after the ‘drought’ is Oway Lau’s Sido (士多, Cantonese for ‘store,’ or a small corner store commonly found in Hong Kong), which opened in April. Inside, you’ll find a collection of lifestyle design products from Shanghai-based indie brands, as well as similar items brought back from her travels to the US, UK, Australia and Thailand. All items carried in the shop are “simple, useful and ordinary things that can be combined in endless ways to tell a story of your own,” according to a sign at the checkout counter that spells out Sido’s ethos.

Some of the most popular items are Lau’s own line of handmade home fragrance products, all labeled with funny names like ‘Slutty’ and ‘Hangover Cure.’ Loyal customers have also returned for things like Trader Joe’s organic chocolate and Vegemite for a taste of their home countries.  Though the product selection may seem random, that’s exactly what Hong Kong-style mom-and-pop corner stores are like and it’s the feel that Lau hopes to capture and reflect at Sido. 

See listings for Sido.

For more new Shanghai shops, click here.