Different cities for different goods
WHILE every city has
places to shop,
the best shopping
destination for travellers
depends entirely on the
type of goods they are
looking to buy. This is why
it is important to ask what
clients are interested in
– is it massive shopping
malls in the US, a souk in
Marrakech, fresh produce
markets in Fiji or a bazaar
in New Delhi?
Travel agents say the
following cities offer the best shopping
experiences, from unbeatable bargains
to high-end shopping.
New York for accessories
The malls in New York offer every type
of accessory – handbags, jewellery,
watches, you name it – under one roof
at reasonable prices, says Annemarie
Lexow, sales and marketing manager
of Travel Vision. She suggests that
travellers look for brochures at their
hotel for shuttles that will take them to
and from all the outlet malls.
Carlos Luis, supplier relationship
leader of Flight Centre Travel Group,
suggests Barney’s, Bloomingdale’s,
Tiffany & Co and Madison Avenue for
the most enviable accessories, or
meandering through the markets of
SoHo for a special fashion find.
Milan for clothing
Milan may be renowned for its high-end
fashion, but this doesn’t mean that it is
short of mid-range stores, says Carlos.
“There is a massive choice of designer
labels, with some of the clothes created
just for the Italian market and not
available anywhere else in the world.
While there are few bargains, the prices
in Milan are often a quarter of those in
Paris and New York,” he says.
Candice Perry, marketing, media
relations and social media co-ordinator
of Thompsons Holidays, agrees.
“Fashion is one of Milan’s biggest draw
cards. The influence it has spreads to
the world of publishing, partying and
commerce.”
Carlos adds: “Milan’s downtown
haute couture ‘Golden
Quadrangle’ is formed by
Via Montenapoleone, Via
Sant’Andrea, Via Gesu
and Via Della Spiga, where
shoppers will find flagship
stores of every famous
Italian designer plus
those of foreign rivals and
creative wannabes.”
He suggests Malo,
Armani and Galleria Vittorio
Emanuele II, which looks
like an ornate art gallery
but is one of the world’s
oldest shopping malls, having opened
in 1865. For more market-style clothing
stores, he advises visiting shops in
Corso Buenos Aires.
Bangkok for electronics
Bangkok is the perfect shopping
destination for any electronics and
gaming aficionado, says Carlos. The
city is a slick retail destination boasting
more than 40 malls in the city centre
alone. At Siam Paragon, EmQuartier
and Central Embassy, there are multiple
floors of stores to shop at,” he says.
“And do not forget the MBK Centre!”
For shoppers who have children
accompanying them, Carlos suggests
checking out Terminal 21 and Siam
Discovery too. “They cater for young
fashionistas and there are niche outlets
aplenty. Amarin, for example, is a onestop
shop for sportswear.”
Hong Kong for market goods
Hong Kong is one of the most
affordable places for goods of all sorts,
says Carlos. “It is alive and bustling
with sprawling shopping centres and
busy street markets where you can
buy everything from clothes and Asian
trinkets, to toys and watches.”
He suggests Temple Market, Ladies’
Market (it isn’t only for ladies), Seafood
Street Market and Stanley Market
for an exciting shopping and cultural
experience. “These markets offer great
meals and an opportunity for shoppers
to test out their bargaining skills. Just
advise them to wear comfortable shoes
because they will be doing a lot of
walking!”
New malls on KZN’s North Coast
DURBAN’S North Coast is
becoming a shopper’s paradise
with the opening of one new mall
and the expansion of three others.
Owned by Investec Property, the
R1,8bn Cornubia Mall spans
65 000sqm near Mount
Edgecombe in Umhlanga. It offers
a selection of food, fashion,
lifestyle and sports attractions
integrated into an outdoor familyoriented
shopping experience.
The mall is connected by
bridges, landscaped walkways
and pavements to give shoppers
a sense of being indoors and
outdoors at the same time,
making the most of the province’s
favourable weather conditions.
Cornubia Mall introduces a
series of innovations offered for
the first time at a retail mall in
the province, including a 70km
mountain bike trail that starts and
ends at the mall and meanders
through the surrounding greater
Cornubia green belt. There’s also
a bounce trampoline park and a
Fives Futbol facility that offers
three outdoor five-a-side soccer
pitches.
Further north, Ballito saw the
opening of the Ballito Junction
Regional Mall in March.
It was named the best new
shopping centre development in
South Africa this year.
This regional mall is the major
expansion of an existing
10 000sqm, now increased to
an impressive 80 000sqm. It
features in excess of 200 shops,
restaurants, and services.
A highlight of the mall is the
Ballito Junction Urban Eatery with
six-metre-high feature window,
looking out to the north over the
undeveloped green parklands of
Simbithi Eco-Estate and, on a
clear day, to the Indian Ocean.
Its facilities include a Nu Metro
cinema complex and the 22 Jump
Street trampoline park.
Across the road from the Ballito
Junction, the ‘new’ Ballito Lifestyle
Centre is also taking shape. The
Centre lost a staggering number
of shops to the new regional mall,
but decided to strike back with
a massive revamp. A permanent
artisanal food market and the
introduction of more up-market
restaurants are expected to
transform it.
Finally, Gateway Theatre of
Shopping is enhancing its retail,
leisure, food and entertainment
offering. It will add and extend a
number of stores in response to
“ongoing demand from both local
and international retailers wanting
to either expand or open premises
at Gateway,” says Akash Maharaj,
portfolio manager.
Not-to-be-missed shopping festivals
Cannes Shopping Festival – December 26 to January 28, 2018
Cannes Shopping Festival
should be on the bucket
list of every shopper who
loves runway fashion,
haute couture and
designer labels. It takes
place at the Palais de
Festivals with numerous
catwalks, fashion parades
and theme nights.
Shoppers can even
consider taking luxury to
a new level by hiring the
services of a personal
shopper.
The Korea Grand Sale – January 20 to February 28, 2018
Shoppers who brave the
winter weather can take
advantage of nationwide
discounts in the shopping
malls, markets, department
stores and boutiques during
the Korea Grand Sale. The
sale takes in a wide range
of covetable goods.
The Great Singapore Sale – June to August 2018 (TBA)
The Great Singapore
Sale has been a major
shopping festival for 21
years and offers heavily
discounted goods, with up
to 70% off, within shopping
malls and precincts
across the city centre and
suburban areas. Shoppers
can enjoy savings and taxfree
shopping on beauty
and wellness products,
watches, apparel, toys,
electronics, food and
beverages.
Hong Kong Shopping Festival – June 1 to August 31, 2018
Hong Kong is named the best
shopping destination in the
Asia-Pacific region by the Globe
Shopper Index, a ranking of
European and Asia Pacific
shopping cities. Shoppers
should visit the city during
this festival, which is part
of the Hong Kong Summer
Spectacular. It brings savvy
savings on handbags, fashion
accessories, traditional wares,
fabrics, home décor and
electronics.
Istanbul Shopping Festival – June or July 2018 (TBA)
The flamboyant Istanbul
Shopping Festival offers
deals on high-quality
textiles, organic cottons,
fashion, silk scarves,
fabrics, linen, jewellery,
arts, antiques, handmade
shoes, furniture and
ceramics at high-end
shopping malls and
famous shopping streets
across the city. There are
also fashion shows, music
concerts, performances
and street shows.
To the point
Advise clients to take advantage of tourist discounts. Most big shopping malls around the world
offer tourist discounts. Some malls even offer shopping cards that provide tourists with discounted
and duty-free prices.
How to avoid common pitfalls
BETWEEN aggressive salespeople,
buyer’s remorse and a small (or
big) problem with overspending, a
shopping trip can sometimes feel
more like a chore than a treat. It
is no wonder that some shoppers
prefer to shop from their computer
screens.
However, the advantages of viewing
goods up close and being able to
experiment with styles and trends
without having to commit, cannot be
achieved online in quite the same
way as on a shopping trip.
While there are many problems
with brick-and-mortar shopping that
shoppers cannot control, the good
news is that there are remedies for
the more common shopping gripes.
Travel agents share advice on how
to deal with the most annoying of
them.
Communicate clearly with
tour guides and taxi drivers:
In some countries, such as
Singapore, some day tours visit the
same jewellery store at the end of
the excursion.
For this reason, travellers must
communicate with tour guides and
taxi drivers that they would only
like to visit desired destinations,
says Carlos Luis of Flight Centre
Travel Group.
“They must communicate this
unless a surprise stop at a local
shopping spot is up their alley.”
Don’t be afraid to visit street
markets: In Asian countries, it
is typical of taxi drivers to only
suggest shops with which they
have commission agreements, says
Annemarie Lexow of Travel Vision.
To avoid falling prey to this, she
suggests visiting street markets
instead. While taxi drivers will often
tell travellers that street markets
are not safe, this is not necessarily
so, particularly if travellers are
accompanied by tour guides.
Excursions that are inflexible:
A big consideration is that some
touring companies plan shopping
trip excursions ahead of time, based
on the location of the traveller’s
accommodation, says Carlos.
Therefore, tour guides may be
inflexible about the shops they are
willing to visit due to their schedule.
On-board shopping: Is it really worth it?
TRAVELLERS in
designated foreign
trade zones such as
an aircraft cruising
at 35 000 feet are
offered premium
goods such as
designer watches,
scarves, belts, ties,
pens, handbags
and headphones
with most or all of
the taxes removed
from the prices.
The question is – is
on-board shopping
really worthwhile?
Many times, there are bargains
to be found on selected items in
on-board shopping catalogues.
But there are also situations in
which bargains are fleeting. “It
all depends what you are looking
for and what the refund policy
is,” says Annemarie Lexow of
Travel Vision. She adds that
clothing and electronics are
the riskiest items to buy on
board. For this reason, it is a
good idea for passengers to
stick to items they
are knowledgeable
about.
Some assume
that every on-board
price represents a
bargain because it
is tax free, but the
starting price may
not be favourable.
“On-board shopping
can be worthwhile
as the products are
duty-free and may
be cheaper than
you would find in a
general store, but
be aware of the price you would
expect to pay normally or at
home before boarding,” suggests
Carlos Luis of Flight Centre
Travel Group.
Some passengers buy goods
on board on impulse, believing
it is a last-chance opportunity.
Carlos believes that on-board
shopping is a good way to
indulge in a last-minute spoil
or for spending left-over foreign
currency.
