Contrary to popular belief that everything is expensive abroad, even with the current exchange rate of the dollar and the euro, clothes there can be both cheaper and better – the main thing is to know what, where and when to buy! With the right selection of “discount” periods and universal outlets, as well as taking into account low prices and tax refunds, your shopping can not only recoup the price of air tickets but also, taking into account visa-free travel, become a plus. After all, the ratio of price and quality in same Europe is much more adequate than in Ukraine, and territorially it is within easy reach.
Plus, pleasant memories of the trip will be added to the successful new clothes of the wardrobe – after all, no one forbade combining business with pleasure.
We have selected the best outlets and shopping centers in several countries where you can buy fashion brand clothes with discounts up to 70-80% or visit familiar inexpensive mass markets, but with much better clothes.
Italy
The birthplace of a huge number of fashion brands and fashion houses, a full-fledged leader in the shoe industry and luxury accessories, a country famous for D&G, Armani, Roberto Cavalli, Prada, Gucci, Versace, and Moschino. Italy is a paradise for any fashionista! Many mono-brand large outlets sell their products with discounts of up to 70%.
If you don’t know what exactly you want to buy, then it’s better to go to large outlets, where many brands are gathered under one roof. One of the best outlets in Italy is Serravalle, which is an hour’s drive from Milan. There are 150 boutiques of the most famous brands. Serravalle is part of the worldwide McArthurGlen retail chain, as is the Barberino center near Florence and Castel Romano on the Tyrrhenian coast near Rome. During the period of big discounts, which can be found in advance on the Internet, these outlets are ideal for large-scale shopping.
Not far from Tuscany Florence, there is a wonderful place called The Mall, which makes it possible to receive a tax refund in cash right on the spot. If you’re traveling through Milan, Bologna, or Modena, check out Fidenza ‘s Outlet Village, with hundreds of boutiques ranging from brands like Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Versace, Furla to lesser-known outlets. The price range here is wide and varied, but there is an option to get additional discounts – you just need to register with the administration of the outlet town before your arrival.
France
If outlets in Italy offer mostly premium clothing, and for cheaper options, you need to go to mass markets, then in France the choice is much wider. The fashionable capitals of the country of love are full of luxurious fashion houses like Dior and Chanel just next door to democratic brands like Mango or The Body Shop cosmetics stores. This is the case, for example, in two French McArthurGlen discount centers: Troyes near Paris and Roubaix near the Belgian border.
About half an hour from Paris is one of the best outlets in the world, La Valle Village. Clothes from the latest collections of brands like D&G or Jimmy Choo, of course, are sold without discounts, but when buying things from past collections, you can save up to 90%! If such brands are not affordable even with discounts, then literally around the corner you can find mid-priced brands like Zara or C&A . In the south of France, the equivalent of La Valle Village is the Nailloux outlet village near Toulouse.
Another economical option is Mistigriff outlets. There, the service and sorting of things are lame, and to find something worthy you need to “dig around”, but 85% discounts are very common there.
Great Britain
If we talk about really economical shopping, then the United Kingdom will give odds to luxury lovers in previous countries. British designers prefer stylish democracy to the indefatigable luxury of Italy and France. Of course, we are not talking about Vivienne Westwood and John Galliano, although they can cost you less than many other famous brands.
Many British retail chains are actively cooperating with young fashion designers, and the most famous among them is Debenhams. The outlets of this retail chain will surely appeal to everyone who appreciates originality and creativity more than well-known labels.
There are probably more multi-brand discount centers in the UK than anywhere else in the world. Only the already familiar McArthurGlen has 6 giant outlets. The largest of them, Cheshire Oaks, is located half an hour from Manchester, and the slightly smaller Ashford outlet is in the suburbs of London.
Germany
For shopping in Germany, you should not go to Berlin, as you might expect, but to Munich. Not far from it is the outlet village Ingolstadt with a huge number of boutiques, from Tom Tailor clothes to Jimmy Choo shoes .
Not far from Berlin, you can find another McArthurGlen discount center – Outlet Berlin, in 80 boutiques of which Lacoste, Desigual, and Tommy Hilfiger brands are sold (sometimes with discounts up to 70%! ) For most goods, prices here are lower than in Ukraine (sometimes literally two or three times!).
Fans of handicraft and uniqueness will be satisfied with the products of the German Manufactum chain, which is widely distributed throughout the country.
By the way, in Germany, most outlets are closed on weekends (especially Sundays) – this should be taken into account when planning shopping.
Turkey
The closest and cheapest shopping tourism center is Turkey. You should not be skeptical about such a trip, because we are not talking about Turkish bazaars with swarms and auctions, although even there you can find very special and even one-of-a-kind things. In Turkey, there are a lot of outlets with famous fashion brands (there are many times more of them than in Ukraine), and prices are often much lower (especially during discount periods).
For example, the Migros shopping center in Antalya. Many brands of the center are already familiar to Ukrainians, some of them have not yet appeared in our country. The main advantage of Turkish outlets is lower prices and the availability of shops of good Turkish brands. A wide selection of Turkish brands is presented in the large Deepo outlet near Antalya Airport – with an amusement park, go-karts, and traditional sales on Tuesdays.
In Istanbul, you need to immediately go to the huge Olivium outlet center with a traditional European set of brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Mango, Diesel, or a number of Turkish brands. Another major outlet in Istanbul is 212 Istanbul Power Outlet, which sells mainly local brands.
Do not be afraid of the names of high-profile brands and remember, discounts are our everything!
