Bead Street’s fraying legacy: craft hub faces uncertain future as shops bow out

In the heart of Hong Kong's Sham Shui Po neighbourhood, Bead Street, also known as Yu Chau Street, is facing an uncertain future as several accessory retailers announce their closure by the end of the month. The once bustling hub for crafting shops, now dominated by eateries, has seen a decline in its craft-focused scene. Shop owners like 70-year-old Jen Kwong, who has been working in the industry for decades, lament the changing landscape and the loss of quality materials that were previously readily available.

Kwong reminisced about the golden age of Hong Kong's textile manufacturing industry, recalling long queues outside Japanese zip maker YKK Corporation, which closed its Sham Shui Po storefront in 2008. She noted that nowadays, it's easier to buy new garments than to mend them, and that high-quality imported materials are becoming harder to find.

Despite the closure of several shops, Kwong's shop remained busy with customers purchasing beads, ribbons, buttons, hooks, clasps, and freshwater pearls. However, she expressed concerns about the lack of online shopping alternatives, as she found that shopping in person allowed for a better experience, enabling customers to touch, compare materials, and mix and match.

Another shop owner, Mok, from Kwong Yiu Fashion Accessories Company on Nam Cheong Street, cited falling sales and a 60% drop in business in the past few years, despite an increased interest in crafts during the pandemic. Mok struggled to adapt to e-commerce, stating that it would require time and effort to set up an inventory and rent a warehouse for stocktaking.

The owner of Bead Box, another shop slated for closure, attributed the decision to rising costs and macroeconomic factors, including the high price of petroleum-derived beads and increased logistical and manpower costs. With the air conditioning unit broken down, the shop was forced to purchase additional fans to keep running during Hong Kong's hot summer season, even as it prepared to close its doors in two weeks.

Local community organizer Paul Chan Chi-yuen noted the transformation of Sham Shui Po over the past decade, observing the influx of new businesses that aimed to bring fresh dynamics to the neighbourhood. However, he cautioned that the future of Bead Street and the neighbourhood at large would depend on how effectively change could be managed.