New York has everything essential to delight shoppers: world-famous brands, small local stores, large outlets... A day of shopping in New York is an experience that no one wants to miss. Far beyond the typical fashion brands, this city offers options for all tastes and needs. Have fun!

Shopping in New York supermarkets

Shopping in New York

Compared to what we are used to in New York, the opening hours are much more flexible. Many stores are practically open 24 hours a day, hence the nickname of the city that never sleeps. In any case, most major fashion stores are open from Monday to Saturday from 10-21 and on Sundays from 11-21 (Yes, they are open on Sundays!). So you can organize your shopping day without problems, you will surely find your favorite stores open and ready.

The capital of fashion, New York, has one of the most famous shopping areas in the world on its famous 5th Avenue. Designers such as Calvin Klein, Prada, Armani, Hugo Boss and Dolce Gabbana have settled here to take advantage of the advantages that the euro to dollar exchange offers. If with European brands the prices in New York are already favorable, if we talk about the great American brands such as Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister, Footlocker, the great Nike town on 5th Avenue and Apple, it is certainly worth coming to buy here. Also with the advantage that if the exchange rate is at a good time, we can save up to 15% compared to the price in Europe, a bargain.

What is the best area for shopping in New York?

There are hundreds of stores and shopping areas in New York that are worth a visit on a shopping trip to New York. In any case, if you are looking for where to start you can take into account this list:

✔South Broadway / SoHo

✔Hudson Yards "The Shops"

✔5th Avenue

✔Herald Square Macy's

✔Brooklyn Flea Market

✔chelsea market

✔Shops at Columbus Circle

✔Woodbury Common Outlets

✔Madison Avenue

メTimes Square NOT

The best shopping streets in New York

If you're looking for the best places to shop in New York, one of New York's many shopping streets is a great choice. Fifth Avenue, for example. It is widely known for luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Armani, as well as more affordable fashion stores like Uniqlo, H&M and Zara. Other shopping streets in New York are located in the Upper East Side and Soho, which have their own flagship stores of larger mass brands such as Converse or Adidas.

Shopping in Chinatown

For all those looking for cheap stores in New York (or in other words, fakes), the best area is Chinatown. In Chinatown you can find fakes of almost any watch, bag or wallet on the market.

In Chinatown there are two ways to buy: the first, in the many shops that are in the streets of the neighborhood, and the second, when walking down the street someone whispers "Chanel, Dior...", if you answer and follow, you will end up in the basement of some apparently closed store where there will be several rooms full of fakes. The possible discount compared to other stores in New York does not compensate for the experience.

People in Chinatown usually negotiate prices based on quantities, it is common for someone who goes with the idea of buying cheap in New York to get 5 or 6 watches at a good price. Even if you only want one unit, if you push and you're good at it, you won't pay more than half of what they initially ask for.

Is everything so cheap?

The reality is that with the current exchange rate from euro to dollar everything is cheaper, but not enough to give rise to compulsive purchases. In other words, speaking of fashion, there are very specific products in New York that everyone talks about and that will cost you less than half of what they are worth in Spain. Some examples are Levis pants and Converse sneakers, two of the best items to buy in New York. However, if you expect to walk into stores like Hugo Boss and find clothes at bargain prices, you will be disappointed.

A separate topic is electronics, where you can find good bargains; Laptops, digital cameras, iPods and iPhones are items on the minds of almost every visitor to New York.

Outlets in New York

If one of the objectives of the trip is to renew the wardrobe, the best option is to visit the outlet stores that are located on the outskirts of the city. The discounts are worth it and many people go to New York exclusively to shop at these malls and save some money.

There are several outlets within walking distance of New York, but for price, variety, discounts, and atmosphere, Woodbury Common Premium Outlets has no competition. It is the most famous discount mall in the states of New York and New Jersey.

Shopping malls and supermarkets in New York

Shopping malls in New York City are perfect for a rainy day. Also, this is the place to come if you want to visit a lot of shops, but do not want to run all over Manhattan. There are several malls in New York where you can shop, grab a bite to eat or just take a short break. The largest shopping center in New York is called the Westfield World Trade Center. It is located in Lower Manhattan. For groceries, you can go to one of the New York supermarkets!

haggling

Coming back from New York, one gets the impression that everything is negotiable there. While this may seem self-evident in Chinatown basements, it can also happen in high-end stores on Fifth Avenue. In various jewelry stores they offer almost 50% discount when asking about various watches.

Tips for shopping in New York

How do prices work in the United States?

The first thing to keep in mind is that the prices that you will see on the labels of the New York stores do not include VAT. That is, without net prices. To know the exact price of the product you must add 8.875% VAT (in most cases). This rate deconstructs into a 4.5% New York City tax and a 4.37% New York State tax. This means that some Outlets such as the Jersey Gardens Outlet in New Jersey have a certain advantage when it comes to offering discounts: they do not have to pay the corresponding New York City tax! If you want to get the most for your money on a day of shopping in New York, I recommend that you decide on the stores located in New Jersey.

Where to go shopping in New York?

If brand stores are what you want, the largest concentration of these is on Fifth Avenue near Central Park. At this point there is also the Apple store, for many another tourist visit in New York.

If you are only looking for cheap clothes, some of the most famous malls are Macy's or KMart. Macy's is located next to Penn Station and is one of the most recommended and famous places in New York. Also, showing your ID or passport at customer service will give you a 10% discount card valid for 30 days, to use on all items in New York, except electronics, furniture and the like. You can also request this discount online before the trip.

How much can I buy in New York without paying customs?

Another important point to take into account are the customs regulations of your country of origin. This varies from one country to another, but as a general rule all nations have a limit of products that can be imported without paying taxes. For example, in the case of Spain, the authorities only allow purchases with a market value of up to $470, after which you have to pay customs taxes. In any case, logic prevails here, if you make a reasonable purchase and remove the label, no one will be able to establish whether the objects are purchased here or there. The biggest problems tend to be when importing electronics, if you come back with 3 iPhones from your vacation in New York they will probably want to know where you bought them.

Sales in New York – Is Black Friday worth it?

The sales known as Black Friday, the Friday after Thanksgiving in the United States, are the best opportunity to get bargains. This day of shopping marathon with stores open 24 hours a day and lots of offers offers the opportunity to save the most willing shoppers. It's not for everyone, but if you have the right attitude, we guarantee you've never seen a sale like this before.