1. 《LIFE+》Magazine
  2. 《LIFE+》Magazine Issue List
  3. Autumn 2022 Issue
  4. A Trio of Market Traders Share their Stories
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    08 November 2022
    Over coffee in the sunlight atrium of Central Market, Chinachem CEO Donald Choi caught up with three of the building’s tenants to find out their impressions of this innovative retail venture that’s now in its second year of operation.

    Typical of the Market, everyone around the table had a different story to tell, and interesting business concepts to share.

    “We’re mixing coffee and busking,” explains Dickson Chan of The Busking Corner. “We want to help local buskers show off their talents. That’s why we’re combining coffee and music, to mix it all together to give people a different kind of experience.” But Chan and his partner are hoping for broader benefits from the spotlight they are shining on this often overlooked culture. In Hong Kong, buskers aren’t recognised by any legislation, so the pair are hoping to lobby government to extend protection and provide opportunity for musicians and entertainers keen to share their talents with the community.

    Community is the focus for Gingko House, a long established NGO that provides and promotes employment for the elderly in Hong Kong. A founding tenant of Central Market, their shop is one of seven across the city. Alongside retail outlets, Gingko House also operates an organic farm, four restaurants, and a factory where much of the produce and foodstuffs for the shops are originated. Their head of Business Development, Ken Choi explained to Donald about the range of items on show in their heritage inspired shop. “A lot of the products that we have, focus on things that you can’t get now. And a lot of our senior chefs are able to make food and sauces using recipes from decades ago. This really ties in with the environment here in Central Market, and the clientele here have been very receptive of not only our concept, but also our brand.”

    Conversation between Dickson Chan (The Busking Corner) and Donald Choi

    “When we talk to potential tenants, we really want them to be authentic in their products and service, but also in their heart. We want them to really serve the community.”
    - Donald Choi

    “We want to create a unique flavour that you cannot get in other shopping malls. Our intention is really a great urban living room for the community. So you know, grandpa and grandma can come in and enjoy it, while office workers can come in have a lunch with friends, and then the teenagers can come here for the busking, kids as well, as we have a lot of these activities. So it’s all of this activity that makes Central Market a very vibrant place,” enthused the Chinachem CEO.

    Coty Yip ChocoNext Coffee with the CEO A trio of Central Market traders share their stories

    A business that naturally appeals to all, is Coty Yip’s ChocoNext. This young Hong Konger hand-makes exquisitely designed premium chocolates that not only taste delicious, but look and feel unique too. Coty worked with Hong Kong award winning designer Tommy Li on the brand, and their signature chocolate shape has been described by him as “coming from the elegant sleeping volcano”.

    “ChocoNext means a place where you can find something special. At the beginning, I spent almost a year to think about the design of the packaging and the chocolate flavours. We try to think out of the box. It’s not just a piece of chocolate, it’s something else,” explains Yip.


    Clearly it’s this kind of entrepreneurial spirit that Chinachem are trying to attract to Central Market, and the company is actively smoothing the path for young businesses keen to get in front of the venue’s wide spectrum of consumers.

    It is this kind of community focused thinking and investment that’s attracting the diverse range of businesses that now populate this bustling Central block, breathing life back into a building that sat dormant for 18 years.

    CEO Choi explains the venue’s ‘plug to operate’ system designed to appeal to small sized and start up retailers, “We put in all the backbone infrastructure so that when tenants come in, they can very quickly operate without spending a lot of capital cost.”

    Central Market
    93 Queen’s Road Central and
    80 Des Voeux Road Central, Central, Hong Kong
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