Seven ways to shop smarter while on holiday

Shopping trips abroad can yield designer bargains, objets d’art for your home or a bad case of buyer’s remorse. Rachel Marie Walsh outlines seven ways to shop smarter

1. START SMALL: You don’t go abroad to eat McDonald’s, so why shop at international high street stores while on holiday? Some department stores are tourist attractions but stock can usually be purchased online. For truly unique purchases, start with small stores. New York’s West Village and Cheung Sha Wan Road, Hong Kong, are full of tiny, diverse retailers. Lingerie boutiques are excellent on the continent. Janina in Barcelona and Sabbia Rosa in Paris are two of the best.

Concept boutiques like 10 Corso Como, Milan, Simple, Prague, and Andreas Murkudis, Berlin, offer interesting blends of art, music, books and fashion at a range of price points. Boutique staff is generally very knowledgeable about where you can shop for your style elsewhere. A Wallpaper* City Guide App for iPhone/iPad, €3.99, can also be relied upon for lists of cool, lesser-known stores.

2. ASK QUESTIONS AT THE MARKET: I am not a usually fan of market shopping (give me an air-conditioned boutique with clean, well-merchandised stock any day), but if you seek unique pieces for your home it can really throw up some gems. Locals will know the very best markets to visit, so befriend your concierge. Before haggling begins, ask how a piece was made and from what. Synthetic materials or a sewn-in label often mean a piece is factory-made and nothing special. Remember that responses to bargaining tactics vary and visit culturecrossing.net to learn whether you get further being pushy or friendly with vendors. Dress plainly and bring cash in small bills. Cash helps you stick to a budget.

3. RECOGNISE A BARGAIN: If you are on a budget but really must return from Milan/Paris/New York with a designer item, save a day for outlet shopping. Outlet centres are usually located a half hour or so from the nearest city, and have designated shuttle services there and back. Outlets sell off-season clothes and brand-new items of a lesser quality than those sold in regular designer stores. Try to be as cynical as you can about reduced-priced items. If it is more than 50% off, is there is some compelling reason no one bought it at full price.

4. TRY EVERYTHING ON: Learn to say, “Where are the changing rooms?” in the local tongue because you should never, ever buy clothes without trying them on.

My strategy is to pick up the first five items that appeal most (five being the changing room limit in most shops) and seeing how they look, then taking the next five in and so on until I have either found what I want or there is nothing I have not tried that grabs me. This whirling dervish whip around saves time on deliberation and means I am absolutely sure what suits me before I buy. Fitting-room selfies can help too.

5. DON’T ASSUME VINTAGE FASHION WILL BE CHEAP: The cost of vintage clothing varies wildly in European capitals, so be sure to research price points. Didier Ludot is perhaps Paris’ most famous vintage store and a rich source of inspiration for designers and students, but shoppers will find that Kiliwatch offers more bargains. Most vintage-loving Londoners go to Rellik to gaze and Blitz or Beyond Retro to buy. Check the condition, detailing, stitching and label. Does the price seem fair?

6. RESEARCH LOCAL LUXURIES: If you know you are after a local speciality like genuine Murano glass or a hand-woven Oriental rug, some pre-holiday research can save you time, money and even embarrassment. Which features ensure that the item is genuine? A good guidebook like Lonely Planet, offering recommendations for reputable shops and markets.

Be wary of retail recommendations from tour guides as they may be taking commission. For pricy items such as jewellery and art, demand a certificate of appraisal or authenticity.

7. DON’T SUPPORT COUNTERFEITERS: Purchasing a knockoff designer item is never a victimless crime. Apart from the impact on the brands concerned and the jobs of their employees, counterfeiters and the syndicates they work for have been linked to human trafficking, child labour, money laundering and even terrorism.

In De-Luxe: How Luxury Lost its Luster, Dana Thomas’ meticulously researched bestseller, the former Newsweek fashion reporter gives a harrowing account of a raid on a designer counterfeit assembly plant in Thailand, where “employees” under ten worked in squalid conditions and had their legs broken for asking to play outside.

The consumer response to counterfeiters should be resolute: if we don’t buy it, they can’t sell it. A quick scan of details, stitching and print can verify whether the item you are considering is authentic but common sense will tell you that Prada, Gucci et al did not licence sale of their goods to a strip-lit shop, a stall or a roadside hustler. On a purely cosmetic level, fakes look tacky as hell.

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