What is the point of shopping in Europe?
 

Shops look elegant but most of them are in most big cities in the US as well.

At least for mens wear, it's the same stuff you can get in the department stores in the US, except for being about 35% less before sales.

Maybe there are some luxury goods you can't find unless you're in NY or Beverly Hills. But otherwise, are there some products which are never sold here?

Or any bargains? That seems less likely given the VAT.

Things like cognac, champagne and cheese also don't seem to be any cheaper. True, there are probably greater varieties available over there.

So why buy over there and lug it here, possibly deal with Customs?

Mostly I agree with you. But I do like to buy new jeans and nice dressy pants in Zurich at Jelmoli. For some reason, their brands run longer (and I need a tall size) which means I have several pairs from which to choose! )( I often buy more than one pair) In the US, I'm lucky to find ONE pair that fits me just right.

I do almost all of my shopping in Europe.

I almost never buy clothes in Europe, because I can get them much cheaper here in the US (thanks to sales, clearance, and outlet stores). But I do buy accessories if they are unique/handmade.

However, I do enjoy buying something unique in Europe, things I can't (easily) get here in the US.

Some examples I've bought are:
Marquetry framed mirror in Granada
Handmade ceramic vase in Cordoba
Hand-painted pottery in Seville
Orange Club biscuits in UK
Handmade ceramic garlic holder in Bamberg, Germany
Glass wall clock in Brussels

I find that many household items that are sold in the US, are ubiquitously Made in China, unless one is willing to pay $$$ to purchase European-made goods at specialty import shops.

Maybe everyone else here has more money than I do, but i never shop in Europe. I can barely afford to travel there, i certainly can't afford nice clothes or "luxury goods".

Unless I find something really unique yet still affordable I do not shop in Europe. I see no point in buying things just for the sake of buying things. I always get funny looks when I return to the US because I have little to nothing to claim on my customs form.

I like to window shop. I always bring home some little thing that is inexpensive and speaks of the place we are visiting. I don't buy elegant clothing or furnishings in my own country, so it is doubtful that I'll ever buy them in Europe.

But a little bit of shopping and window shopping in between sightseeing is a lot of fun.

Two years ago, just before going to France, I bought some new 501 Levis on sale for $21.99
Two weeks later, in a shop window in Burgundy, I saw them for sale.



84 euro

But they do have nice wine.

I shop! I love antiques so I'm always on the lookout for a special piece. I never leave the Nice antique market with an empty bag. I also have bought a few unique sweaters that I have not seen at home. And I have bought several LV handbags and other accessories that are available in the US, but they are less expensive in France. I consider them as my souvenirs. Although I must confess, I have a collection of Eiffel Tours in various sizes displayed in my bedroom.

I don't enjoy shopping at home and I sure don't want to spend time doing it on vacation! The only shopping we do is at antique shows, and we are doing less and less of that because I'm paring down these days.

The examples yk brought up are valid, stuff made by local artisans which probably aren't exported widely.

My point is, why would Americans be excited about these shopping districts with high-end boutiques?

Prada, Furla, LV, etc. can all be purchased anywhere in the world and probably in the US for less price or at least less hassle (no Customs to deal with, no worries about packing).

Last year, I looked at prices for shipping wines back to the US from Montalcino shops. Prices didn't seem that different from what I recall in the US. But the topper was that it was at least 90 Euro shipping back to the US.

And if you spend a couple of hundred to ship a case of wine back, what would happen in Customs anyways?

tomboy,

It also works the other way around. I bought some unusual jeans at C&A for 39 euros and a season later saw similar ones here for $199.

Other things I can't get in the US include good sunscreen, Poulain dark chocolate, and Repetto shoes.

Furla is MUCH cheaper in Florence than in the US.

Is that at the outlet stores?

And what do you declare when you return?

It was a regular store. The item was way under the limit of what has to be declared.

I can't buy much now but I still like to window shop, particularly home goods, fabrics and food items. I don't dare look at handbags and scarves.

Even in my heyday, I always declared everything--when the franc was 10 to the dollar, your duty free allowance bought quite a bit. And back in "those days", Customs worked with you to tax first the items with the least amount of duty(maybe they still do).

I also learned virtually all paper products and books are duty free--two of my weaknesses. And, I shipped things when postage was so much less than it is now.

The duty on wine used to be about 18 cents a bottle over the two bottle limit, so it wasn't painful to bring back half a case. Now, with the carry on restrictions, it really isn't worth it.

Not everyone lives in a large U.S. city endowed with stores carrying high-end European labels. Yes, I can order limited selections online, but that means at least $20 in round trip shipping and handling charges just to look at an item.

I found that Mefisto shoes and Longchamp bags are less expensive in France than in the U.S., so I bought one of each, shoes and a bag.

I also love Italian and French ceramics, and Provencal fabrics.

Anna

I can't imagine going to a glorious city like Rome or Paris or Munich or...any wonderful European city and spending my time shopping.

When I lived in Germany, I tried shopping for dresses. At first I couldn't find anything that fit, but I finally found two that fit me nicely. Turned out they both had New York labels.

I have narrow shoulders, and German styles seemed to be for women who had broader shoulders and a larger bust.

Shoes were also a problem. My feet are extremely narrow. The only shoes I found that fit were Bally shoes, and they cost an arm and a leg even then.

Does anyone else have problems finding clothes that fit in Europe?

Germans like to fly to New York for shopping. They buy jeans, clothes, electronics.

Cherries from my neighbour's tree taste better.

Not much point in shopping for at least 90% of the stuff you see in Europe. About the only things worthwhile are brands that aren't available in (most of) the US. Also, some luxury goods can be a relative bargain in the country of origin (the Furla example). The problem is that you may not have enough knowledge of US prices to know when a deal is good.

The one place to watch, though, is London. The drop in the pound has largely erased the price premium you used to see. iPods for instance, which used to be a common request from friends when I went to the US, are now roughly the same price in the UK as in the US. Much more of a drop and there may be some bargains to be had.

But even with the exchange rate drops, I think you have to contend with VAT.

I saw iPod Nanos in Austria for 270 Euros. I think the most expensive ones in the US are the 16 GB ones which are what $200?

So we're talking over 50% higher price. I suspect in this case, Apple is charging more in Austria for some reason. Maybe there are higher customs.

Certainly no reason to buy American brands over there, even though you see big sections in department stores for Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, etc.

Hmm, it must have been a store which marked up the iPod Nanos.

Because the Apple Austria site shows them at 149 and 199 Euro, which accounting for VAT isn't too bad.

Fnac.com lists the official prices too, for France.

It has long been the norm for US manufacturers such as Levis and Apple to change the dollar sign for a pound sign or a Euro sign. Now the rates are different the prices are too, but it was always so that it was a lot cheaper, even with sales tax added, to buy such things in the US than here.
It is still true of a lot of cameras and camera lenses and other accessories that they are much cheaper in the US. I can buy a lens there, pay the sales tax on it there (which unlike VAT for foreigners in Europe is not refundable) and pay the import duties upon my return to NL and still have a massive bargain.
So no, apart from maybe a special handmade piece, I cannot understand why Americans would shop in Europe.

I love to buy little things that remind me of my holiday - scarves, tea towels (dish cloths) a bangle/bracelet. In Florence last year at the markets I bought a handbag and some gorgeous gloves. My HB is a fabulous photographer so we have some really lovely framed photographs throughout the house.

None of these things are expensive, but it gives me a little thrill every time I use them.

Here in Australia we don't have the advantage that US offers by way of cheap clothing. You are very lucky with clothing prices!

Beats me.

Since when is Apple a US manufacturer. I've spent a good part of my life shipping goods to the far east for use on Apple equipment.

Not sure about Levi, anyone else know where they are made?

Living in Europe, dependant on exchange rates I find Spanish clothes are generally cheaper than British, though a friend who is a clothing expert reckons German mens clothes are the best deal in Europe

<i>But even with the exchange rate drops, I think you have to contend with VAT.</i>

Even factoring that in, the UK has, in my experience, largely lost its premium. I compare with Apple, because the products are the same, prices are easily found, and they used to be substantially cheaper in the US than in the UK. Now, the Nano, the iPod, and the macbook are all within 5% of the US price, if bought in the UK.

Euro countries retain more of their price premium, but my point was just that the UK might now be among the best places in Europe to buy global-type goods. The dollar has gone from roughly GBP 0.50 to GBP 0.70 since last May. That pretty much erases the price premiums that I used to see on a wide variety of goods, including clothing and electronics. There has not been enough local inflation to offset that drop.

<i>Not sure about Levi, anyone else know where they are made?</i>

The ones I have on were made in Cambodia.

&gt;I do almost all of my shopping in Europe.

Me too, Padraig.

&quot;Not sure about Levi, anyone else know where they are made?&quot;

Levi Strauss uses about 1,000 factories in 50 countries. Most, oddly, countries liable to lower import duty on arival in the EU than on arrival in the US.

There's an almost up to date list of the suppliers at www.levistrauss.com/Downloads/FactoryList.pdf

I do not shop for luxury goods/brands, clothing, or food items (wine, cheese, etc.) in Europe. I do like to bring back an item that is unique to the destination but not a &quot;tacky&quot; souvenir. Yes, sometimes they are things that I can buy in the U.S. or on the Internet, but I still like to have something to remind me of each trip.

Who buys clothes?

Our shopping is for booze, cheese, foodstuffs and antiques you can't get back home. I don't know where you shop, but I find European comestibles much much cheaper back where they are made than I can find them in trendy shops here in the States.

Why go to Europe to see castles when Disney has two here in the US?

I did buy an Irish sweater, scarf and hat last year, but mostly I buy memories.

We have 2 crystal wine glasses we bought in Heidelburg in 2007, our 25th Wedding Anniversary.

Last year in Ireland I got 2 wonderful Staffordshire Zebras at an Antique shop in Kenmare, and some beautiful Irish Lace that I am going to frame. Every time I look at them I see Kenmare.

And every vacation we buy some ornaments for our Christmas tree. That is the most fun as every year when we decorate we talk about where they came from and our past vacations.

I've found great bargains on many kinds of goods in Europe. We often travel to Italy during the January sales and prices are far lower then they are at home in the US. And there are many designs not found in US shops.

And some of the outlets have wonderful prices on high-end goods. In September we visited the outlets near Como--excellent prices! Loro Piana winter coat for US$600., minus the VAT!

The fun in shopping in other European-countries (being a Dutchmen myself), is not in the high-street and/or high-end brands/shops you see all aroeund the world (H&amp;M, Zara, Armani, Chanle etc).
But more so in the middle/lower segment of shops/brands specific to a certain country. For instance; in France/Belgium/Spain/Italy you have got a mens clothing chain called Celio, they are (not yet) in the Netherlands. Their prices are affordable and you don't see the brand a lot over here.

I often pick up some little item to remind me of my trip (a Christmas ornament, a little watercolor, etc.) but don't go shopping specifically for them. Pick them up if I happen to see them while I am out and about.

YK, do you have some secret place to get Club orange biscuits? Please share!!! I haven't seen them in quite a few years and read somewhere that Jacobs was sold out to a French firm who dropped the clubs from their line.

irishface - I found some last May (2008) at the huge Waitrose supermarket in Windsor (next to the Windsor shopping center and rail station). They were placed on the bottom shelf... hard to find really.

However, when I went back to London Nov 2008, I could not find any Orange Club biscuits. I tried the relatively large Waitrose at the Gloucester Rd tube station in Kensington, and also various smaller Tescos in touristy areas. I was heartbroken.

Club Orange is still made in the UK. Browse the UK supermarket websites till you find it, then get a year's supply delivered to your UK address if you can't find it in the shops. It's not exactly the kind of food Waitrose specialises in these days.

The Jacobs brand is owned by different people in the UK and Ireland and there's a bit of argey bargey about intellectual property and brands. So if Jacobs Ireland (now Irish-owned again) doesn't want to make Club Orange, it might not be possible for Jacobs UK (owned mainly by US-based private equity) to export the product there.

Or try emailing United Biscuits (the owner of Jacobs UK) www.unitedbiscuits.co.uk

flanner - Can I order a year's supply of Club Orange to your address and I'll pick it up on my next trip to UK? You may keep one packet for yourself as service fee. :)

I buy handbags and oddball things like grocery bags. For everything else, there's TJ Maxx.

I've hauled Polish pottery back from Krakow only to find it at TJ Maxx. We were at a pottery factory in Deruta Italy checking things out and I commented to the manager that his things look familiar. He asked if I've been to TJ Maxx.... :)