'Lingkao,' a shopping concept popular in old Shanghai, is making a glorious comeback
Lingkao's pop-up store in M+ Mali Creative Park at 850 Xikang Rd, Jing'an District, has drawn many young and elderly people carrying bottles and containers. They fill the bottles and containers with Shanpai laundry detergents.
Provided by Zhu Yile.
At the "Lingkao machine," users must first select the required capacity, and the machine will automatically fill the container with soap liquid, similar to how an automatic beverage dispenser works.
The citizens standing in the queue have been found to be holding a variety of containers. Some carry a large bag of beverage bottles, others empty buckets, and even some hold their discarded electric kettles.
Interestingly, the way young people participate coincides with the lifestyle of the old Shanghai residents. They buy only what they need, emphasizing pragmatism, simplicity, and convenience, campaigning for the use of reusable packaging to reduce second-hand waste, supporting green consumption, and advocating for low-carbon environmental protection.
The event has drawn many young and elderly people carrying bottles and containers.
The slogan reads 'Bring containers you can fill – Tons of free Lingkao laundry detergent giveaway.'
The term "Lingkao" (split retailing) is well-known among old Shanghainese. When you need something, you buy only what you need, rather than a whole box or bucket of it.
In those days, not far from Shanghai's old-style alleyways, there were usually one or two tiny stores specializing in selling necessities like oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, alcohol, tofu, and pickles.
Whole bottles of alcohol may be sold in the shop, while commodities like oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar are sold by weight. However, "Lingkao" was the most prevalent practice. They would bring empty bottles to buy a few liang (a Chinese measure of weight) of wine and fresh soy sauce or rice vinegar as seasonings.
This is also the meaning of the current Internet buzzword "Da Jiangyou" in Chinese, where "Da Jiangyou" in Shanghainese dialect means "to buy soy sauce." Aside from that, people would buy some tofu or pickles to take home.
Without the packaging, the prices were significantly lower.
The essence of "Lingkao" is first and foremost efficiency and usefulness, purchasing only what you require and prioritizing practicality above excess. This not only reflects the careful and minimalist nature of the Shanghainese, but it is also a more environmentally sustainable method of consumption.
Another slogan says "When I was a child, my mom used to ask me to 'Da Jiangyou' (buy soy sauce). Now, I invite my mom to come 'Lingkao'
Representatives from Shanghai Soap Co., Ltd. claimed that the current market comeback of "Lingkao" services is not the last and that such services will be improved in the future. On the one hand, the product line will be broadened by including "Lingkao" fabric softeners.
Innovative products from famous brands like soap, cleaning agents, "Fenghua" and "Shanghai Medicated Soap" will be provided and sold at "Lingkao" stores. On the other hand, the number of "Lingkao" stores will also increase. Aside from the pop-up store in Jing'an, new "Lingkao" shops have recently opened in community supermarkets. In the future, "Lingkao" shops and "Lingkao" machines" will be opened across the city.
Date: through November 15
Time:10am-14pm every day
Restricted to 200 people per day with each person eligible to receive 500g free. People must carry their own bottles or containers.
