The most popular destinations for shopping on “Subtleties of Tourism”

In recent years, shopping tourism, fortunately, has ceased to be associated with checkered bales with cheap luggage, which in the dashing nineties were delivered to Russian cities by enterprising “shuttles”. Today, going on a shopping tour abroad is not only not a shame, but in a sense it is an honor: this is an indicator good taste and prosperity, as well as the ability to save money without sacrificing quality. This type of tourism is especially popular during seasonal sales, when you can bring authentic designer items from abroad for almost pennies - discounts reach up to 70%. Of course, it is profitable to update your wardrobe or buy electronics, watches and accessories in almost any more or less civilized country in the world. However, there are areas that have made shopping tourism one of the main ways to replenish the budget. We will tell you about the most popular destinations for foreign shopping.

The big European three

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France is a country where you won’t be able to save much: this country has never been a country of very profitable shopping (however, it is still far from Stoleshnikov). First of all, people come here for brands and quality. The most popular areas of French shopping are cosmetics and perfumes, followed closely by clothing and accessories. Shopping here is done mainly in Paris: expensive boutiques are concentrated in the Golden Triangle between the Champs Elysees, Montaigne and George V avenues, and among the most popular department stores are Galeries Lafayette, Printham and Bon Marchais. For discounts, you should go to the largest French outlet La Vallee.

Spain is a paradise for “mass” shopaholics. There are practically no boutiques of top echelon fashion houses here, but there is a whole treasure trove of stores of more affordable brands. Prices for almost everything are affordable, and even a really good designer item will be cheaper than, for example, in Paris or New York. The best place for shopping here is Barcelona with its three pillars: the El Corte Ingles department store, Diagonal Avenue and Plaza Catalunya.

Other European countries

But it’s not Italy alone that lives the heart of a shopaholic! There are enough countries in Europe where you can shop with no less success, but in a less hectic atmosphere. Let's start with “serious” Europe, and first of all you should pay attention to Andorra. This satellite state of Spain (which, by the way, does not have its own airport) can compete with its neighbor for the right to be the most profitable country for shopping. The secret of success is the “tax free” status, which applies here to all shops in Andorra. The difference between the “pan-European” and local price tags consistently ranges from 20 to 40%, and during winter sales from the Christmas holidays even up to 70%. costs ski equipment, perfumes and cosmetics, jewelry, watches and optics.

Germany also cannot keep up with the big three European shopping destinations, but the country has its own fans of stores. IN German cities they are met by a huge number of shops and shopping centers(the first in terms of their number are Berlin, Munich, Dusseldorf and Frankfurt am Main), as well as a number of outlets. Shopping in Germany is always high quality goods. Prices are at European levels, but during the Christmas and July sales period they drop to a third of the original price.

An additional pleasant point: VAT refunds on purchases can be issued starting from 25 EUR.

Austria offers shopaholics a varied, high-quality, but not cheap shopping experience. Almost all well-known brands of clothing, shoes and accessories are represented here; in the vicinity of Vienna there are several good outlets with reasonable prices, but, alas, you should not expect a rampant collapse in prices at sales. The largest outlet in Austria is the huge Parndorf, 40 km from the capital - an entire shopping city with several shopping streets and malls, the prices of goods in which are significantly lower than in Vienna.

VAT refunds in Austria are issued for amounts starting from 75 EUR, but separate checks from different dates can also be accepted.

Greece is the number one destination for fur coat shopping tours. It is best to buy soft gold in the summer - not only because of discounts, but also by combining pleasant spending with an equally pleasant beach holiday. For fur coats they go to Kastoria (the first “holy” place for a shopaholic here is the Edika fur hypermarket) and to Paralia Katerini, where the assortment is simpler, but the prices are lower. They also bring knitwear, leather, leather goods and shoes, gold jewelry, and jewelry with precious and semiprecious stones from here.

A mega-popular shopping destination - however, mainly for residents of St. Petersburg and the northern regions of Russia - Finland. People come here primarily for household purchases - food, detergents, children's clothing, and interior items. Clothes and shoes take a back seat (with the exception of Finnish down jackets), but what is definitely worth going here for is quality European brands in Helsinki, the cost of which is 30-50% lower than in Russian cities.

You need to “catch” the best prices in the UAE during the shopping festivals - Dubai, held in January-February, and the Summer Surprises festival - in June-July.

Golden East

"To the East!" - said the once popular slogan, and it was adopted by a variety of categories of tourists - fans of beach holidays, exotic lovers, and, of course, keen shopaholics. Well, the most popular “eastern” shopping destinations are the UAE and Türkiye.

Shopping in the Emirates is an exciting, gambling and quite profitable activity (unless, of course, you are aiming to buy a diamond necklace or an Aston Martin). The vast majority of things purchased in the UAE are products from famous world brands: clothing and accessories, shoes, cosmetics and perfumes, watches and jewelry, interior items. All this is abundantly presented in numerous Emirati malls. You need to “catch” the best prices during shopping festivals - Dubai, held in January-February, and the Summer Surprises festival - in June-July. Discounts reach 70%, and in addition you can win one of the very valuable prizes in the lottery. Don't forget about duty-free shopping in the world's largest duty-free, Dubai, and the port of Abu Dhabi.

Türkiye is another textbook shopping destination. You can buy goods here in any price category - from cheap knitwear to the latest collections of famous brands. And Istanbul in this regard is ahead of all of Turkey: the Laleli “shoppers” district, the famous Grand Bazaar, a lot of shopping streets, department stores and malls, boutiques and shops. Prices for world brands will not differ from European ones, but during the sales period twice a year you can very profitably purchase items from the outgoing collection.

As for locally produced clothing, textiles, shoes and leather goods, this is an excellent choice in terms of price-quality ratio: the items are durable, will last a long time, and are inexpensive.

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However, there is often no need for additional price reductions: throughout the year in China you can very profitably update your wardrobe (and not only with local brands, but also popular international ones), purchase new electronics (we hasten to inform the skeptics: not fakes!) and equipment, and even update the furniture in your home - furniture hypermalls will help you decorate everything Required documents and will provide delivery to your door.

Malaysia holds the lead in computers, electronics and all kinds of clever gadgets, and is also one of the leaders in Asian fashion.

... and South-Eastern

Created by the loving hand of God Southeast Asia- a destination not only for a beach holiday surrounded by paradise nature, but also for excellent shopping. True, shopping here is still not the main thing, but it is a significant component of the holiday. The best places to purchase goods are in Malaysia and Thailand.

, Koh Samui and other islands. Come for the most bargains It makes sense to come here during the summer sales period from mid-June - this is a grandiose event on a national scale.

To buy or not to buy, that is the question? In modern shopping centers, everything is arranged in such a way that there is almost no choice left. Our small tour de shop around the world will help you choose best places to part with what was acquired through backbreaking labor.

Keep in mind that some stores can even force you into debt. But if thoughtful surfing among shelves and hangers improves your mood, and you cannot overcome your love for branded bags and bright boxes, then perhaps you should make shopping an idea for your next trip.

Wako Department Store. Tokyo, Japan

The Wako department store in central Tokyo's Ginza district was founded in 1881.

The historic Wako building is one of the few remaining from World War II. It seems very conservative: austere 1930s architecture, high ceilings with stucco, and the reserved politeness of the salespeople. The crazy rhythm of Tokyo seems to remain outside the walls of this historical building. Despite the fact that Wako is not a large trading house, the range of goods here will satisfy the most demanding buyer.

Eatons. Toronto, Canada

Eatons is an impressive 1970s shopping arcade located in the heart of downtown Toronto. Architectural solution The glass-roofed Eatons were inspired by the world's oldest arcade, the Milanese gallery of Vittorio Emmanuel II, an engineering discovery of its time.

Eatons is not just a store, it is one of the city's main tourist attractions and is always crowded. If that doesn't bother you, you can make some pretty budget-friendly purchases at Eatons' 230 stores and outlets.

De Bijenkorf. Amsterdam, Netherlands

Amsterdam's De Bijenkorf is one of the oldest European chain department stores. The history of De Bijenkorf began in 1870, when Philip Goudsmit opened a small shop of buttons and sewing supplies on the busy Nieuwendjik street, in the old part of Amsterdam.

Now the chain already consists of 12 department stores throughout Holland, but the flagship of this flotilla is still the five-story Amsterdam De Bijenkorf, which in 1957 moved to a building on Dam Square. Amsterdam residents are proud of their department store, but they go there themselves, rather, for excursion purposes: modest Dutch people are embarrassed by the rather high prices. However, once a year, in the fall, Bijenkorf organizes Dwaze dagen - three crazy days of sales. Many items from famous world brands are sold these days with significant discounts, from 25 to 40%.

Galeries Lafayette. Paris, France

Galeries Lafayette is the leader of Parisian department stores. It was opened as a small fashion store by the brothers Kann and Bader in 1893. The store quickly grew and in 1912 a glass dome and a magnificent Art Nouveau staircase were added to it, which are now protected by the state as an architectural monument.

Today this huge chic shopping complex- an important place for fashionistas and fashionistas. Here they carefully monitor the latest trends in all areas of sales: fashionable clothing, jewelry, home accessories, gifts and souvenirs. Every Friday there is a half-hour fashion show on the 7th floor of the gallery. Prices are generally high, but there are also very affordable offers. Many Parisians do their weekly shopping here.

10 Corso Como. Milan, Italy

If you call Italy the cradle of fashion, and Milan the shopping Mecca, then the center of 10 Corso Como will be the main temple where the gods of fashion are worshiped.

Along with Parisian Colette, 10 Corso Como is one of the legendary European concept shops, the number 1 place in Milan to experience the quintessence of the current season's new products. But not everyone knows that nearby there is a well-disguised 10 Corso Como Outlet, where unsold items from past collections hang at much more reasonable prices.

Fashion Shows. Las Vegas, USA

If you want to lose millions in one day in Las Vegas, you don't have to go to the casino. Fashion Shows, a huge modern shopping center, is a place where you can easily part with most of your savings.

A gigantic area of ​​shopping halls, many places for entertainment and relaxation, branded fashion shows, and a night cinema make shopping in this center a real holiday. All the most famous brands in the world have their representative offices here. The premises are very spacious, so even on peak sales days you can always find the opportunity to calmly choose and try on the desired item.

GUM. Moscow, Russia

The symbol of Soviet trade, familiar to us from childhood, is a place where scarce goods were often “thrown away” and it was always possible to “get” something unusual. GUM was the largest, most famous and most desirable department store in the USSR. The monumental building in pseudo-Russian style fits organically into the expanses of Red Square.

There are about two hundred departments here that offer almost everything that money can buy: there is a pharmacy, a bank, a grocery store, flower boutiques, and playgrounds. This the whole city in a city where you can easily spend the whole day.

Quartier 206. Berlin, Germany

Before starting the new project, Quartier 206 owner Anna Maria Jagdfeld had a clear idea of ​​what her dream store should look like. Several months of traveling around the world in search of collections and ideas led to the opening of Quartier 206 in 1997, dubbed the “World of Style” by the press. The building of the center itself, designed by the famous architectural bureau Pei Cobb Freed & Partners from New York, gives a “haute couture” impression.

Quartier 206 is located on Friedrichstrasse, in the center of Berlin, a lively and fashionable place. The center offers the most prominent fashion brands, including luxury ones (Bottega Veneta, Yves Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, Gucci), as well as collections of avant-garde designers, cosmetics and perfumes, books and interior items.

Saks Fifth Avenue. New York, USA

Saks Fifth Avenue is an elite New York legendary store. This is the most famous American store of clothing, shoes, accessories, cosmetics and home decor items in the luxury segment.

The company has more than 100 stores and discounts in the USA alone, as well as a number of branches in Asia and South America. However, the first Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City remains iconic among all Saks stores. It has all the best American and European brands, under one roof and on ten floors. Among the most popular departments of the store is the shoe department, which offers a fantastically rich assortment of shoes for all tastes and sizes.

Harrods. London, England

One-room grocery Charles Harrods, opened in 1824, over the course of a few years became a spacious shopping area offering groceries, stationery, cosmetics and medicines. And 160 years later, in 1985, Egyptian multimillionaire Al-Fayed bought the Harrods trading empire for £615 million.

Harrods now occupies 90 thousand square meters retail space, includes about 330 departments, offering everything from food to banking services. The prices here cannot be called low, but Harrods is worth a visit not only for shopping. The interesting design of the Egyptian Hall and the memorial place of worship of Dodi Al-Fayed and Princess Diana make Harrods unique among the world's shopping centers.

Combining a vacation with active shopping - who can imagine a more enjoyable pastime? Italian shopping is extremely profitable: an abundance of boutiques and outlets, frequent sales, discount systems.

To enjoy bonuses, you need to choose the right time for your trip, know everything about the key retail outlets of the Adriatic and imagine their location.

We will not only organize a review of Italian resort stores, but will also talk about tax refunds - an issue that is extremely relevant for shopaholics.

When is the best time to go shopping in Italy?

If the purpose of your trip is a voyage to Italian shops, then you need to plan this action in advance.

The best time for a true shopaholic is the sales season. This is when you should buy:

• linen;
• fashionable clothes;
• quality shoes;
• accessories;
• Jewelry;
• antiques;
• crystal;
• furniture;
• household items.

When going to Italy for a couple of days, try not to “capture” the weekend - on Sundays you can’t buy anything from Italians, shops are closed.

Most retail outlets adhere to two types of operation:

• 08.00-13.00;
• 15.00-19.00.

The exception may be shopping centers, grocery and industrial stores, but few people are interested in them - we are not going for sausage.

By the way, owners can “close” tiny private shops on Saturday afternoon or Monday morning. Hence the conclusion - it is better to do shopping between Tuesday and Friday.

There is also a “low season” in Italy - Ferragosto. These unique holidays take away the second half of August from shopaholics.
Enterprises, institutions, factories, outlets, boutiques and small shops - everything stops working. Even drinking a cup of coffee is problematic, because there is nowhere.

Banned dates

There are holidays (state and national) when the chances of making a purchase in Italy are zero. These are the fateful days:

• 1st of January;
• January 6 (Christian Epiphany);
• May 1 (in Italy they respect Labor Day);
• June 2 (Italians celebrate the Republic Day);
• August 15 (local residents honor the Virgin Mary);
• November 1 (the day before was Halloween);
• December 8 (Catholic Immaculate Conception);
• December 24/25 - two-day Christmas.

Sales

The Italians themselves call sales with the sonorous word “Sconti”.

There are two types of seasonal sales:

• winter (January 7 - March 1);
• summer (July 10 - August 31).

Discounts reach the limit of reason - 15-70%.

However, the size of the “freebie” depends on a number of factors, among which the leading ones are the localization of the store and the popularity of the brand.

The level of “freebies” is determined by the design of the windows. If you see a draped window, hurry to Liquidazioni (total sale) and enjoy 60-80% discounts. There will certainly be a crush at the entrance to the store, and you will also see police officers on duty.

For fashion apparel, the exact sale dates are planned and announced in advance.

Here is a schedule of sales at the largest resorts on the Adriatic coast:

• Ancona - January 5 - March 1 (winter), July 7 - September 1 (summer);
• Bari - January 5 - February 28 (winter), July 7 - September 15 (summer);
• Venice - the same in winter, July 6 - August 31 (summer);
• Trieste - from January 4 (winter period), from July 7 (summer sales).

Important note: sales last as long as products remain in stock.
Practical experience suggests that all the best things are snapped up in the first weeks, so there is no point in going to the second month of the official sale.

Is it possible to combine shopping with a seaside holiday?

The answer is definitely yes. Moreover, each of Adriatic resorts differs in its own range of goods, for which it is worth going on a long journey.

Worth a visit for quality shoes, cosmetics and wholesale sales.

Venice is rich in numerous souvenirs, antiques and Murano glassware. A lot of interesting things are on sale in Bari and Ancona.

If you decide to go shopping on the Adriatic coast of Italy, you may find information about. You will have a great rest and take advantage of the opportunity to purchase the best goods at “fake” prices.
Do you want to travel freely around Italy by car? Find out the cost of car rental in Rimini. You will visit every corner of Italy, wherever your soul desires.

Types of stores

Retail outlets in Italy stun the unprepared imagination. Here you can find huge shopping centers, the area of ​​which amounts to kilometers, and tiny shops that are not immediately noticeable.

Where is the best combination of sea and shopping in Adriatic resorts?

Combine beach holiday shopping is a good thing. Which resorts can be called the “golden mean”? Let's try to figure it out.

Resort map for shopping

We offer a map of the Adriatic resorts of Italy, where you will find wonderful holiday by the sea and excellent shopping opportunities.

Spain vs Italy: where is the best shopping?

Each of these countries has its own advantages, but most travelers tend to prefer Italy. There are several reasons:

• friendly consultants in outlets;
• plenty of discounts;
• cheap visa;
• branded items at bargain prices;
• huge assortment;
• museums and attractions (you can always combine pleasant things with educational things).

Spain also promises a number of benefits:

• delicious cheeses;
• famous Spanish wines;
• jewelry and clothing;
• Spain is the birthplace of the Zara brand;
• high-quality ceramics;
• Arab souvenirs and national goods.

The disadvantages of Italian shopping are crowded and expensive accommodation. Spain is inferior to its neighbor in the number of outlets and large shopping centers.

Are you going on vacation and your goal is for tourists in this city? Our review is devoted to this topic.
We bring to your attention useful and comprehensive information about what to visit in Italy. Prepare for your trip in advance and have fun.
What are the requirements for an applicant for a residence permit in Croatia? Read everything you need to know about the stages of immigration to Croatia in our next article.

VAT refund points

Often the tax is included in the price of the product and is 20%. This applies to tourists who come from EU countries.

Our compatriots will receive a VAT refund (less administrative tax). The size of this payment is equal to 14.5% of your shopping costs.

To receive money, you need to go to a special point and present the following:

• Tax-free (amount must be at least 154.94 euros);
• receipt for goods;
• unopened purchase;
• passport.

The customs officer marks Tax-free with a special stamp.

Now you can head to the Tax-free Shopping branch and get your money back. Bureaus are located at train stations, airports, and they are also adjacent to highways. Here are some return points:

• Venice airport;
• Bari harbor (Via S. Caterina);
• Rimini airport.

Summarize.

Thanks to the democratic visa regime, abundance of brands, discounts and assortment, Italy is the undisputed leader in Adriatic shopping.

By choosing the right season, you can please yourself and your loved ones with high-quality shoes, fashionable clothes and stylish accessories. The main thing is to take a bigger suitcase!

HOUSE IN THE VILLAGE

You can easily justify the airfare and cost of accommodation in two or three star hotel, if for designer clothes you go not to the main streets of Paris, Milan or London, but to outlets. An outlet is a store where you can find clothes of famous brands from collections of past seasons at a discount of up to 70%. There are several types of outlets. This could be a small store that collects items from different designers from collections of several seasons (for example, DMagazine in Milan at Via Montenapoleone, 26, or Tot Stocks in Barcelona at Calle Conde de Salvatierra, 2). Things in them are usually grouped by brand (hanger with D&G dresses, shelf with Malo sweaters), clothing items (skirts separately, jackets separately), price (all for 50,100, 300 euros) or size measures (most often this is how they sell clothes). The second type is stores of the same brand, where they bring unsold remnants of last season’s collections. Such are you, for example, Marni Outlet at Via Tajani, 1, in Milan or Paul Smith Sale Shop, located in London at 23 Avery Row, Wl.

The third type of outlet is a whole town of boutiques, such as the nine Chic Outlet Shopping outlets scattered throughout Europe. Located a forty-minute drive from Barcelona, ​​La Roca Village has more than 100 stores, including Burberry, Cacharel, La Perla, Levi's, Calvin Klein Jeans and many others. The outlet near Paris has more than 85 boutiques, including Givenchy, Kenzo, Christian Lacroix, Max Mara, Diesel, Lalique. And very close to Milan, such famous brands as Versace, Missoni, Trussardi Jeans, Furla, Guess... In the same place, check out the Corso Roma shoe store, where shoes from previous collections of Chloe, John Galliano, Marc Jacobs are presented, as well as sportswear boutiques Reebok, Puma and Nike.In addition to the obvious savings money and time plus visiting such fashionable conglomerates is that all the villages are located close to major cities and attractions (the French one is located next to Disneyland) and can be reached by public transport.

FACTORY GIRL

If you have the opportunity to rent a car, it is worth going to the shops at clothing and shoe factories (factory stores). Much of what you can buy here you will never find in a boutique in your city. In addition, here you can have no doubt about the authenticity of the goods and save a fair amount. The only difficulty is finding the factory address. But this difficulty is easy to overcome: you should look for a factory store in the country or city where the brand you are interested in was founded. For example, where else if not in London should there be a Burberry factory store (29-53 Chatham Place, London E9 6LP). What’s nice is that such stores are not too far from tourist routes - the Sergio Rossi and Pollini shoe factories are based near the resort of Rimini, Prada is located not far from Florence, and on the shore of Bodensky, located between Austria, Switzerland, Germany lakes - Wolford.

THERE, I KNOW WHERE

If you don’t want to find out for yourself where the stores are where you can buy things at a discount of up to 60%, you can take advantage of the offer of travel agencies and go on a shopping tour. Instead of museums and galleries, guides will take you shopping from morning to evening. There is, however, one thing: as a rule, a shopping tour is a trip “with obligations”. For example, a three-day tour to Greece to buy fur coats will cost only 50 euros, but provided that you are guaranteed to buy at least one fur product for 1000 euros. Otherwise, you will be charged a fine of 450 euros.

WITH HOME DELIVERY

Even if you don’t want to go anywhere, you can still make purchases abroad - on the Internet. This is an example of the best shopping in Europe for the lazy. Especially if you know exactly what you need. For example, you dream about sheepskin UGG boots, which in Moscow stores cost from 8,000 to 15,000 rubles. If you order them in an online store with the possibility of international delivery, they will cost you 5,000 rubles. But do not buy things on an industrial scale: customs duties are not charged only if the estimated value of the goods does not exceed 10,000 rubles, provided that the parcel is sent by state mail, and 5,000 rubles by courier service.

Tips for shopping lovers

The surest way to purchase an item abroad that is 6-20% (depending on the country) cheaper than the price indicated on the label is to use the Global Refund service Tax Free. Having made a purchase in the amount of 25 to 400 euros (depending on the country), ask the seller to issue a Tax Free Check (do not forget to show him your passport - he must make sure that you are not a citizen of the country where the purchase is made ). When leaving home, present the receipt and goods to the customs officer, who will put the appropriate stamp on the check, and receive the money due to you at the nearest Cash Refund Office or send a stamped check by mail to the Global Refund service if you want to receive payment to a credit card.

Plan your trips to Europe so that you get there during the sales season: January 7 - March 1 and July 8 - August 31. This is the best shopping time in Europe.

In each country, buy items from brands that are produced there. Thus, it is most profitable to buy Mango clothes in Spain, and Etam - in France. And although some brands (such as Louis Vuitton) have the same prices everywhere, the assortment in their “native” boutiques is still more diverse.

Pay attention to labels that are not represented here yet: DDP, American Apparel, Berenice, Banana Republic, Comptoir des Cotonniers... In Russia, no one will guess that your luxurious dress costs only 50 euros.

Do not forget that without paying customs duties and taxes, you can import goods into Russia for personal use in an amount not exceeding 65,000 rubles (maximum weight - 35 kg).

During sales periods, stores become almost more popular than museums and architectural monuments. This is a story about where exactly in Europe you should go for inexpensive clothes, jewelry or children's products.

Germany

What to buy: clothes, shoes, dishes, cosmetics, sporting goods.
Winter discounts in Germany start in November, but the main “price drop” occurs at the end of January and February. At this time, things can be bought even for 10% of the original cost! Those who know how to count money should take a closer look at KIK. These shopping centers have clothing for adults and children, jewelry, sporting goods, cosmetics, toys and much more. The C&A brand, designed for the whole family, is also popular in Germany.
Where to go: the most interesting sales are in Berlin, and the most generous discounts are in Munich, Dusseldorf and Dresden (it’s also worth going here for Meissen porcelain). We recommend looking for luxury brand clothing at reasonable prices in the Designer Outlet Berlin and Ingolstadt village.
Photo: Shutterstock

Czech

What to buy: dishes, jewelry, crystal, outerwear, cosmetics.
Stores in the Czech Republic hold sales four times a year, the largest of which occur in winter and summer. Christmas sales begin in December, but stores are only generous with serious discounts in mid-January. Until the end of winter, goods become cheaper by up to 50%-70%. In the Czech Republic you can buy natural cosmetics from Karlovy Vary, jewelry from local pomegranate, crystal and glassware. Among Czech clothing brands, Blažek suits, as well as Kon sheepskin coats and fur coats, are in demand.
Where to go: The main shopping centers of the Czech Republic are located in Prague. One of the largest is Palladium, which features more than 100 brands. You should look for garnet products in Granat stores, and jewelry made of gold and stones in Lapis Diamond. In Karlovy Vary it is worth buying the famous Moser crystal, natural cosmetics, Czech porcelain, including the famous Madonna sets.


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Finland

What to buy: electronics, household appliances, children's and adult clothing, cosmetics.
Those who are planning to update their wardrobe in Helsinki should take tickets for the end of January - February. It is at this time that stores finally offer discounts of 70%-80%.
All famous European brands are represented in shopping centers in Finland, but Scandinavian brands deserve special attention. So, people go to Lindex for high-quality underwear and bright youth clothing, at KappAhl you can dress the whole family, and at Seppala you can choose basic sets for any weather. It’s also worth coming to Finland for Reima children’s outerwear or Kuoma shoes. During the sales period, items from these brands will cost much less than in Russia.
Where to go: greatest number stores are concentrated in Helsinki. For example, it is worth going to the Campi gallery, where there are about 150 shops, stroll along Stockmann and go to the Warehouse outlet.


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Spain

What to buy: clothes and shoes, accessories, jewelry.
Winter sales in Spain are perhaps the longest in Europe. As in other EU countries, they begin at the end of December, but end in the spring. For example, in Catalonia the discount season will last until March 6, in the Basque Country until March 31, and in Galicia until April 7.
Clothing from local brands such as Desigual, Zara, Massimo Duitti, as well as high-quality shoes and cosmetics are especially popular among shopaholics. If you don’t have time to go to boutiques, we recommend checking out El Corte Ingles stores, where they have absolutely everything, from toys to household appliances and clothing.
Where to go: in Madrid you should look for youth clothing in the Arguelles district, on Gran Via for jewelry and accessories, in Barkilo there are about 30 musical equipment stores, in Cuatro‑Caminos there are boutiques of local designers. There are quality inexpensive shoes at the Zapatos Gueerrilleros market near Puerta del Sol.
Good shopping awaits tourists in Barcelona. We recommend checking out the Maremagnum or El Corte Ingles shopping center in Plaza Catalunya.


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Poland

What to buy: clothes, shoes, children's toys and strollers, building materials, household chemicals.
Like many other European countries, sales in Poland take place in summer and winter. Christmas holidays begin in December, but the main price drop occurs at the end of January and February. It is at this time that there are especially many tourists in Warsaw, Bialystok, Suwalki or Gdansk: people come here from Belarus, Germany, Russia and Lithuania to shop.
The list of items purchased is huge - from diapers and tea to spare parts and plastic windows. Outerwear, knitwear and basic outfits from Reserved, Tatuum and other local brands are in particular demand.
Where to go: one of the main shopping centers in Poland is Bialystok. There is a huge selection of goods for children, household appliances and electronics. In Warsaw, it’s worth checking out the Arcadia shopping center, and for fans of Sadovod there’s indoor market"Marivilska 44".


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