Shopping

Shopping can be interpreted in several ways: as any kind of purchase, or as a pastime in its own right.

Shopping is associated with travel. Travellers might be able to buy items unavailable at home, or items cheaper, or of better quality, than at other places, not to mention souvenirs to remember your trip. Shopping can also be extended to the purchase of travel supplies, before or during travel. Some travellers plan trips around shopping opportunities; for example a trip to Singapore or Hong Kong for clothes or duty-free cameras and electronics.

Good and bad places to shop

“

I always say shopping is cheaper than a psychiatrist.

”

—Tammy Faye Bakker

Even an awful vendor may have some good deals or be the only place selling what you want, and even an excellent one may have some overpriced rubbish – but there are also some general rules for finding good places and avoiding bad ones.

Airports are a mixed bag; many of their shops are seriously overpriced, but sometimes the duty free shopping is excellent and there may also be some good deals elsewhere.

Good places

There are some good deals in tourist areas. They will often have a better selection of tourist-oriented goods than you might find elsewhere and facilities may be better as well; for example they may have more English-speaking staff or be set up to accept foreign credit cards which other shops will not take. However, prices are often somewhat or much higher than elsewhere, especially in so called tourist traps, so buyers should be wary. In particular, if you plan to buy high-priced goods it will often be worthwhile to look for better deals elsewhere.

Border towns often have good bargains, aimed at people who take shopping trips across the border to get whatever is cheaper or higher quality in the other country. But exercise judgement, as some shops take advantage of their transient customers by selling low-quality items, or selling them to a price closer to that in the more expensive neighbour.

Often you can do better if you discover where the locals shop and go there. In particular, local department store may offer good quality and decent prices. In many places, the local markets, bazaars or souks are very colorful, well worth visiting even if you are not planning to buy anything. You can often find bargains there, if you know how to bargain, but if you prefer fixed prices or want guarantees, the department store probably feels more comfortable.

There are a few types of specialist stores worth looking for.

Many museums have shops selling high-grade replicas of items in their collections or even those of other museums. Major institutions like the British Museum or the Smithsonian have very fine shops, and even small museums often have good ones.
Some archaeological sites have good shops as well.
Many art galleries sell good books or prints. Local artists or photographers may sell elsewhere as well.
There are also many government-run shops such as India's Central Cottage Industries, set up to promote local arts and crafts.

None of these specialist places are remarkably cheap and most will not bargain, though some galleries may. However, quality is generally quite high, some of the goods offered are unique, and you are much less likely to be severely overcharged than in either a tourist area or a general local market.

Bad places

As a general rule any vendor with a captive market will be tempted to take advantage of the situation and overcharge; they may also have reason for high prices because they are paying very high rent. Examples include shops in airports and some hotels and, fairly often, a shop that is the only one available to people whose tour bus delivers them to some attraction.

The larger the place the less problematic this is likely to be. In a huge airport, a mall next to a hotel, or a whole district of tourist shops, there is enough competition to keep prices mostly reasonable. Hong Kong International Airport even has signs advertising "guaranteed downtown prices".

The derogatory term tourist trap is used for an overpriced venue purposely built for distant visitors, usually loudly marketed, and with expensive attractions, gift shops and dining. It can be built near a well-known natural or cultural attraction. If you go to a well-visited destination, compare prices of different venues to decide where to go.

In many places – across much of Asia and sometimes elsewhere – a system of guide's commission is widespread. When a tour guide, a cab driver, a rickshaw peddler or even a random "friendly" stranger takes you to such a shop, they get a commission on everything you buy. More-or-less all such places are overpriced, and the ones that are most attractive to unscrupulous guides because they pay the best commissions are the worst of the lot from the traveller's point of view.

Walking into many market buildings, or just along the street in some areas, you will be approached (in some places, swarmed) by touts who offer to lead you to shops. These people are usually on commission and should generally be avoided.

See Common scams for some of the really bad deals.

Department stores

See also: Legacy retailers

For many travellers, the local department stores can be good places to shop. Prices will often be somewhat higher than you might see in a market or from a street vendor, but quality may be higher as well, you do not need to bargain, and the risk of being cheated is significantly lower. Air conditioning and freedom from touts are also nice features.

One exception is if you need specialist goods, perhaps a camera or equipment for diving or mountaineering. As a general rule, specialist shops will serve these markets better than a department store can.

Department stores became common in the 19th century, and by the 21st century, many of them have been replaced by shopping malls. Still, many remain.

Some cities have historic department stores famous for their architecture and displays, that tourists may want to visit even if they don't plan to buy anything. These places cater to the high end of the market, and have distinctly stiff prices.

Tips for shopping

See also: Money, Budget travel, Common scams

Travel light. You can cut down on baggage when travelling out, by buying clothes and toiletries for your trip on arrival, especially if you travel to a low-cost destination with good shopping opportunities. You can save weight on your way home by giving used clothes to a local charity.
Research/observe price levels before shopping. With any possibility of a major purchase, before you begin your trip learn what prices might apply at home, in stores and by Internet based sellers. At first arrival in a foreign country, you can only guess whether an offer is cheap or expensive by local standards. In tourist areas, such as airports, hotel shops and cultural attractions, prices tend to be inflated. As you pass by several stores elsewhere, you might learn the commonly accepted price for regular items. Remember the selection and prices at the airport or hotel, so you know what purchases can wait until you return there.
Rule of thumb for small purchases, calculator for big ones. Use a rule of thumb to compare prices for inexpensive items. Let's say you live in the United States and visit Japan, while the Yen is 88 to the US Dollar. Since 88 is nearly 100, the rule of thumb would be deleting two zeros from the price, however this would cause you to underestimate the true cost of items by 12%. This is fine for quickly finding out whether you would pay ¥290 for a drink. However, if buying a camera for ¥35,000, you should know that it costs about $310 at home and use a calculator.
Beware of incompatible electrical systems, region-coded media, and incompatible video formats when importing electronics; likewise, if you intend to bring a vehicle back, be sure it can be registered for use in your home country. The beautiful thing about standards is that there are so many from which to choose.
Also be aware of warranty issues. For example, a manufacturer's warranty on a camera or electronic goods generally applies only to equipment sold by an authorized dealer in that country. A foreigner may save quite a bit by buying in a duty-free port such as Hong Kong, or by buying "grey market" equipment (imported by someone other than the authorized distributor) at home, but if the item breaks during the warranty period, you won't get free warranty service locally. Indeed, some manufacturers refuse to repair items they make that are sold on the "grey market" – even to the point that they will not sell necessary parts to independent repair facilities.
Shopping comes last. There are several reasons to save shopping until the end of your stay (unless you shop for equipment you need):
- You know how much money you can spare
- You are more familiar with price levels, availability and quality (see above)
- You minimize luggage during your journey, and the risk of losing items.
Customs duty can be part of your costs.
- Shop knowing what the duty-free limits are for your home country, and what they will charge if you exceed them. Regulations can vary surprisingly, e.g., the U.S. or Canada do not charge duty on unmounted gems but do on jewellery, so bringing in the same stones mounted may exceed your duty-free allowance. Certain items must be declared and totaled toward your duty allowance(s) regardless of price or value, e.g. tobacco or alcohol.
- If you plan to take anything expensive with you (camera equipment and jewellery are most common), see Proof of what you already own for information on avoiding duty when you re-import it to your home country.
In addition to collecting duties, border officials often enforce other regulations. See below for discussion of legal and other restrictions on various imports.
In some areas, you must be prepared to bargain since that is the only way to get a reasonable price.

Duty-free shopping may save money, especially for goods such as alcohol and tobacco and for travellers from high-tax regions such as the Nordic countries. But note the cautions in the linked article.

Bargaining

See also: Bargaining

Bargaining practices vary widely by country, so you should do your research before your trip even if all you plan to buy is souvenirs. It's most commonly practiced with street vendors and other informal retailers. Where bargaining is expected, it is more important than ever to get an impression about typical price levels at the destination.

You should usually bargain only if the nominal price would be a burden to your travel budget, or is ridiculous by local standards.

Shopping in a busy season

There are times of the year when a lot of people go shopping; such as Christmas in Christian countries (and increasingly in the rest of the world). In the United States, Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) is the traditional kick-off for Christmas shopping. In China, Singles Day (11/11) is a main day for shopping. Here is some advice for high-season shopping.

Once in a mall or other venue of retail stores, try to avoid the major, popular stores and look more at smaller stores, which might have just what you are looking for.
If you know what you want, know which store(s) you want to go to, where in the store the items you want might be, and make as efficient a beeline as you can for that item. It will help to speed up internal store traffic and it will ease congestion at registers, doors, and around the shelves and aisles.
If you are just at the mall/venue to wander and window shop, try not to cause any traffic jams by avoiding the registers, avoid loitering at and in doorways, and move out of the way of customers trying to reach items on a shelf you are standing in front of.
Try not to mingle in stores and near entrances, as this lowers congestion and makes everyone's shopping experience more efficient.
Don't fight with other people for the last of something. The store will probably have more of that item in the back (just ask) and will most likely have it online.
If your destination store seems overcrowded, spend some time in a nearby store with less traffic, as this allows you to see a store you wouldn't've otherwise seen, and it allows the destination store to not be as crowded as it would be.
Follow societal rules regarding other customers (e.g., give a pregnant woman your seat on a bench or chair if there are no other seats left for her nearby).
Be nice to the staff. They have to deal with hundreds or even thousands of people each day, and they can become exhausted.
Shop local – if you can, try to avoid the large, brand-name anchor stores and instead shop at smaller shops and shops unique to the community you are in. Not only will it boost the local economy, but there tend not to be as large crowds in these stores.
Depending on where you go, bathroom lines may be huge, or non-existent. Try to avoid long bathroom lines, as these can block access to goods near the bathrooms and wasting time in the queue may be frustrating. Go immediately before you leave your accommodation to go shopping and do what you can to hold it until you get back. If you need a toilet when shopping, try to go when you find one without a long line.

What to buy

Arts and crafts are popular souvenirs. The cost of handicraft tends to follow local income level; making them cheap in regions such as tropical Africa, but costly in western Europe. Mexico is particularly well-known for its wide range of artesanias.

Textiles including cotton, wool, and silk are popular materials for high-quality souvenirs, especially carpets and clothing. Clothes are needed at least when travelling light. Also supply for the local climate is usually better locally. Beware of different clothing size standards; for example, a person who takes L in a Western country may need XXXL in China. Travelling to lower-income countries, consider using a local tailor; this may be quite affordable because of the low labor cost, especially if appropriate fabric is cheap as well. In some areas handmade boots are also a good buy.

Food can be popular to shop for abroad, to get ahold of some treat that's not available at home, or as a souvenir from agritourism. These goods can however be perishable, and import might be restricted. Legacy food markets can be exciting places to shop.

Alcoholic beverages vary a lot in cost and availability, and can be a bargain in duty-free shopping. Bottles are however fragile and heavy, and import might be restricted. Wise shoppers are aware of prices of their favorite brands, both at home and at their destinations. Duty-free shops in airports often have such high markups that it eclipses any tax savings. However, buying spirits in the country of their manufacture, like Tequila and Mezcal in Mexico, or Pisco in Peru, may be much, much cheaper than buying them at home – but Finnish vodka is certainly cheaper in Estonia, where taxes are lower.

Items like eyeglasses may also be considerably cheaper overseas; one traveller found $135 for the cheapest glasses for his prescription in Canada, but $35 in the Philippines; he ended up paying $125 for a topnotch pair in the Philippines. Some travellers get things like dental work or surgery done abroad; see medical tourism.

Expensive items like electronics may be cheaper in another country if your home country has high tariffs. Rumor has it that some travelers from South America manage to pay for a flight to and from Miami just from the savings on buying a couple of iPhones there instead of at home.

Watches can be bought at very different price levels; an expensive designer watch from Switzerland, or a cheap generic watch at a street market.

Travel necessities

Travelling, at its most simple, requires such things as clothing, baggage, and hygiene and body care equipment. These can either be brought with you from home, or purchased at your travel destination. There are arguments for and against either of these options, and ultimately comes down to your personal preference. Obviously if you are picky about your preferred brands, bring what you need from home. Planning to buying what you need at your destination might save you from having to pay for checked baggage on your outbound flight.

Buying travel necessities at your destination can be cheaper when you travel to a low-income country, or when your home currency is strong. It is worth noting that some items, like sunscreen in South East Asia, are usually much pricier than in your home country, and lower in quality (e.g. sunscreen sold in developing countries usually has a lower SPF than in developed countries). It can also save baggage space, but takes time (see time management).

Places for particular goods

See also: Art and antiques shopping, Bead shopping, Gemstones, Diamond rings in Antwerp, Purchasing a kimono, Mexican Artesanias

Some destinations are famous for particular types of goods:

Carpets are made all along the Silk Road and, if you bargain moderately well, they are considerably cheaper there than in other places. There is a phenomenal range available, with each region and sometimes each village producing its own designs.
The most finely-woven rugs are produced in the great weaving centers of Iran and Turkey, but areas such as the Caucasus, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Baluchistan are also famous for rugs. There is some carpet production almost everywhere from China in the east to Romania and North Africa in the west, and carpet-making is an important industry in both India and Pakistan.
Cameras and electronics in duty-free ports such as Singapore, Hong Kong, Saint Thomas, USVI or Saint Martin in the Caribbean. A few decades ago these were by far the cheapest places to buy such goods; today their prices on many items are no better than major vendors in western countries, but there are still some good deals to be had. See also travel photography and video recording.
Gems are found all over the world, but particular places are known for certain types. See the gemstones article for details.
Some fine jewellery is available in any of the regions known for gems or in major shopping areas anywhere. Some of the best deals, though, are in shops at museums or archaeological sites selling replicas of ancient pieces.
Auction houses. For some high-end goods — such as top notch art or antiques, jewellery or carpets, classic cars, and rare wines — the great international auction houses may be of interest; they may even be worth a visit even if you do not intend to bid. Christie's, Sotheby's and Bonham's were all founded in the 1700s, and are all headquartered in London; Arcturial in Paris and Julien's in Los Angeles are other players in the same market. All these companies now have branches in other cities around the world. (updated Nov 2024)
Nordic folk culture, in particular Sami culture, is famous for wood, textile and metal crafts. Beware that Nordic craft is expensive, due to high taxes and labor costs.

Restrictions

See also: Border crossing, Proof of what you already own

There are legal or other restrictions on many types of goods and they vary considerably from country to country.

Anything that might carry disease is likely to be restricted; most countries restrict import of plants, animals, seeds (including unroasted coffee beans) and some food items. For example, the UK has no rabies and will not admit most animals without quarantine, and Australian customs will incinerate sheepskin products from some areas because of anthrax risk.

Many countries restrict export of antiques or relics; see Archaeological sites and the country articles for details (and assume there are at least some restrictions even if not mentioned). Goods may not need to be particularly old to be subject of export regulations, if regarded part of national heritage. Tourist places or museum shops often have good replicas which are perfectly legal (get and keep documentation as good replicas can sometimes be mistaken for originals).

There is an international convention restricting export of ivory and other products from endangered species, and penalties are quite stiff. If you want to buy ivory products, the easiest course is to buy only fakes. Some antique items are exempt from the ban, but dealing with those is complicated; at a minimum you need to check the legal details and make certain the vendor provides good documentation showing the item is indeed antique. Then worry about restrictions on export of antiques.

There are restrictions on shipment of hunting trophies. After the apparently illegal and certainly controversial killing of a lion named Cecil in Zimbabwe in July 2015, many airlines banned shipment entirely. For details, see our hunting article.

Copyright or trademark law may also be an issue; dirt cheap copies of various items with high-end brand names are readily available in various places, but they may be confiscated at the border. You might even be arrested, especially if you have a large quantity of such goods. See Shopping in China for one discussion.

Of course you should be exceedingly cautious about bringing in possibly illegal goods like drugs or weapons; even if you have a prescription or permit in one country, they may be illegal elsewhere. It would be remarkably unwise, for example, to buy cannabis products in a place where it is tolerated or legal, such as the Netherlands or some states in India, and try to bring some home to most countries. Some of the prohibitions may come as surprises: importing pork or alcohol to Saudi Arabia is illegal on religious grounds. Some products may be illegal to carry between jurisdictions that both allow them – carrying cannabis from Colorado to California is illegal under federal US law. Other goods, such as weapons, nearly always require paperwork.

Books or newspapers can also be problematic. Anything that might be deemed "propaganda" from the other Korea will get you in trouble in either Korea (though trouble may be way worse in the North). Religious items can earn you anything from closer scrutiny as a potential missionary in countries with indigenous populations that the government prefer remain unmolested by missionaries to rejected entry or even jail for even a single bible for personal use in more extreme Muslim countries. While works in your own language or a reasonably "obscure" language are often overlooked or ignored, bringing in potentially seditious literature in English, the local language or a widespread regional language can still get you in trouble at the more unfree countries.

Things like medicines, vehicles or electrical equipment can also be problematic since they may not be regarded certified for safety at the destination, even if they are elsewhere. Also, things like weapons and some medicines may not be unconditionally banned but you are required to obtain a special permission to import them to the destination and/or transit countries.