Shopping in Europe
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Jennifer's Hamam
Owned by Canadian Jennifer Gaudet, the two Arasta Bazaar branches of this shop stock top-quality hamam items including towels, robes and peştemals (bath wraps) produced on old-style hand-shuttled looms. It also sells natural soaps and keses (coarse cloth mittens used for exfoliation).
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Gamaya
A breath of fresh laid-back Ibiza air runs through this new ladies’ wear store tucked away on a street that has gone from near abandonment in the 1990s to become a delightful shopping lane today. The lady who runs this shop designs the breezy summer dresses, pants-and-tops combinations and prints herself.
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Kolaportið Flea Market
Held in a huge industrial building by the harbour, this weekend market is a Reykjavík institution and definitely worth a visit, particularly in these economically challenged times. Browse through piles of secondhand clothes, music, antiques and children’s toys, or pick up Icelandic fish delicacies including cubes of hákarl.
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Sali Pazari
On Tuesday there is a massive market in Kadıköy, on the Asian side: the Sali Pazari. The cheapest clothes in town are on sale here, so if you've been on the road for a while and your underwear needs replenishing, this is the place to do it! To get there, get off the ferry and move straight ahead along the major boulevard of Söğütlüçeşme Caddesi for about 500m until you come to a busy intersection, Altıyol Square.
Cross over, take the right fork and continue eastward along Kuşdili Caddesi for another 250m (three cross streets). At Hasırcıbaşı Caddesi turn left and you'll see the tent-city market spread out before you. It's open between 08:00 and 18:00. On Sunday…
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TopShop & Topman
Topshop is the ‘It’-store when it comes to high-street shopping. Encapsulating London’s supreme skill at bringing catwalk fashion to the youth market affordably and quickly, it constantly innovates by working with young designers and celebrities. It’s the store that famously runs the popular Kate Moss collection. It has an entire floor dedicated to accessories (hair clips, tights, sunglasses, you name it). And if the store’s five floors intimidate you, you can book an appointment with a personal shopper.
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Ibiz – Artigianato in Cuoio
In this pint-sized workshop, Elisa Nepi and her father craft exquisite, well-priced leather goods, including wallets, bags, belts and sandals, in simple but classy designs and myriad colours. With €40 you should be able to pick up a wallet, purse or pair of sandals.
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Los Bebés de Chamberí
This small shop showcases that wonderful individuality of Spanish children’s clothes; you’ll leave laden with bags for your own kids and for friends back home.
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Mercat de la Boqueria
Shop in the Mercat de la Boqueria, one of the world’s great produce markets, and complement with any other necessities from a local supermarket.
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Albert Cuypmarkt
Exotic goods as well as cheap basics from nations around the globe.
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Le Bon Marché
Built by Gustave Eiffel as Paris’ first department store in 1852, Le Bon Marché translates as ‘good market’ but also means ‘bargain’, which it isn’t. But it is the epitome of style, with a superb concentration of men’s and women’s fashions, beautiful homewares, stationery and a good range of books and toys as well as chic dining options.
The icing on the cake is its glorious food hall, La Grande Épicerie de Paris.
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Colette
Uber-hip is an understatement. Ogle at designer fashion on the 1st floor, and streetwear, limited-edition sneakers, art books, music, gadgets and other hi-tech, inventive and/or plain unusual items on the ground floor. End with a drink in the basement ‘water bar’ and pick up free design magazines and flyers for some of the city’s hippest happenings by the door upon leaving.
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Cours Saleya Markets
Split between its beautiful flower market and rightly famous food market. On Mondays from 6am to 6pm, flowers and food make way for an antiques market.
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Camden Market
Although – or perhaps because – it stopped being cutting-edge several thousand cheap leather jackets ago, Camden market gets a whopping 10 million visitors each year and is one of London's most popular attractions.
What started out as a collection of attractive craft stalls by Camden Lock on the Regent's Canal now extends in various shape or form most of the way from Camden Town tube station to Chalk Farm tube station. There are four main market areas, Buck Street Market, Lock Market, Canal Market and Stables Market, although they seem to blend into one with the crowds snaking along and the 'normal' shops lining the streets. You'll find a bit of everything: clothes (of…
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Gönül Paksoy
Gönül Paksoy creates and sells pieces that transcend fashion and step into art. In fact, her work was the subject of a 2007 exhibition at İstanbul's Rezan Haş Gallery. These two shops showcase her distinctive clothing, which is made using naturally dyed fabrics and is often decorated with vintage beads. She also creates and sells delicate silk and cotton knits and exquisite jewellery based on traditional Ottoman designs.
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Sergio Aranda
Trained in the art of jewellery creation in Switzerland, Aranda produces an original line of goods, including jewellery made using ancient coins. He also specializes in pearls, making all sorts of original and even daring necklaces and other items for ladies looking for something combining the extroverted and unique with the classic.
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12 Tónar
A very cool place to hang out is 12 Tónar, responsible for launching some of Iceland’s favourite new bands. In the three-floor shop you can listen to CDs, drink coffee and maybe catch a live performance on Friday afternoons.
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Fürst
Pistachio, nougat and dark chocolate dreams, the Mozartkugeln (Mozart balls) here are still handmade to Paul Fürst’s original 1890 recipe and cost €1 per mouthful. Other specialities include cube-shaped Bach Würfel – coffee, nut and marzipan truffles dedicated to yet another great composer.
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Santo Spirito Organic Market
This monthly market attracts artisans and organic farmers from around Tuscany, with stands devoted to fresh produce, hand-painted crockery, spices gathered from Chianti hillsides and much more.
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Noordermarkt
This Jordaan market has a split personality: Monday is for antiques, fabrics and secondhand bric-a-brac, while Saturday sees a festive farmers market.
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Saluhallen
A mouth-watering market hall, it peddles reasonably priced grub, from fresh fish and piping-hot pasta to Thai, kebabs and croissants.
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Tre Erre Ceramiche
Tre Erre Ceramiche has a huge selection of ceramics.
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El Rastro
A Sunday morning at El Rastro is a Madrid institution. You could easily spend an entire morning inching your way down the Calle de la Ribera de Curtidores and through the maze of streets that hosts El Rastro flea market every Sunday morning. Cheap clothes, luggage, old flamenco records, even older photos of Madrid, faux designer purses, grungy T-shirts, household goods and electronics are the main fare. For every 10 pieces of junk, there’s a real gem (a lost masterpiece, an Underwood typewriter) waiting to be found.
Antiques are also a major drawcard for traders and treasure hunters alike with a concentration of stores at Nuevas Galerías and Galerías Piquer; most of…
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Primark
Despite some recent bad press about its manufacturing methods, the flagship store of Primark is still crammed to the rafters with women hunting for bargain fashions that look like haute couture. They don’t call it ‘Primani’ for nothing.
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Izmaylovo Market
This sprawling area, also known as Vernisazh market, is packed with art, handmade crafts, antiques, Soviet paraphernalia and just about anything you might want for a souvenir. You’ll find Moscow’s biggest original range of matryoshki, palekh and khokhloma ware, as well as less traditional woodworking crafts. There are also rugs from the Caucasus and Central Asia, pottery, linens, jewellery, fur hats, chess sets, toys, Soviet posters and much more. Feel free to negotiate, but don’t expect vendors to come down more than 10%. This place is technically open every day, but many vendors come out only on weekends, when your selection is greater.
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Harrods
Both garish and stylish at the same time, perennially crowded Harrods is an obligatory stop for London’s tourists, from the cash strapped to the big, big spenders. High on kitsch, the ‘Egyptian Elevator’ with its ex-owner Mohammed Al Fayed sphinxes, resembles something hauled in from an Indiana Jones epic, while the memorial fountain to Dodi and Di merely adds surrealism. Piped opera will be thrown at you as you recoil from the price tags: after an hour of browsing, you may just want to lie down on one of the doubles in the 2nd-floor bedroom department. But the stock is astonishing and you’ll swoon over the spectacular food hall.
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