Top 10 Shopping Destinations of the World

Does bargaining on the price of those gorgeous pair of shoes and finally convincing the seller to sell it to you at half the price gives you immense satisfaction? Does a shopping mall appear to be the best hangout place in the world? Do you never get tired of visiting those bright colorful shops even if you visit them almost regularly? Congratulations! You are thus declared a helpless Shopaholic! And proudly so!

This list of the world’s top 10 shopping destinations will give you a fair idea of where should your next holiday be!

10. Dubai

A recent discovery but nonetheless worthy! Among the other names that have remained consistent on the list of most shopped at places, Dubai does not have a historic record but is slowly emerging as a major player in the present time. Tagged as the ‘shopping capital of the Middle-East’ , Dubai has over 70 malls including the largest mall in the world, The Dubai Mall. A particular souk or an open-market alongside the creek is famous for highly-bargained cargo goods. Also, if you take a break from shopping, you may enjoy the indoor ski slope at the Mall of Emirates or the view of Burj Khalifa Tower from the Dubai Mall. The Dubai Duty Free retail shops at Dubai’s International Airport also attract shoppers’ attention. The Dubai Mall also hosts the annual Dubai Shopping Festival in January and February.

9. Los Angeles

Who doesn’t dream of shopping with the celebrities at Rodeo Drive! But L.A is more than just its Rodeo Drive. It is an ocean of possibilities for shoppers from all corners of the world. The Rodeo Drive has a number of well-known names along on its showrooms such as Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Hermès, Burberry, Coach, and much more. The neighbouring streets like Wilshire, Dayton Way, and North Beverly Drive, also have many luxury stores and restaurants such as Sunglass Hut and The Cheesecake Factory. The Sunset Strip and West 3rd Street of West Hollywood have a chain of stores flaunting fashion and style in its unique sense. The Venice Beach, and Melrose Avenue are also famous for their straight-out-off-the-ramp collection of clothing products and accessories. But if you’re more of a one-stop shopper,then head to Old Pasadena to find closely-situated  departmental stores.

8. Hong Kong

Hong Kong is famous for its retail shopping of watches, sunglasses, electronic items, jewellery etc. Hong Kong has a great deal to offer to both mall-shoppers as well as street shoppers. For the brands, one can visit the Admiralty, Central and SoHo, the Causeway Bay, Sheung Wan etc. There isn’t a world-famous luxury brand name that you won’t find on the shops and boutiques here. For the mellowed down easy street-hunt, there’s Cat Street, Chun Yeung Street and the Dried Seafood Street on the island and Apliu Street Flea Market Cheung Sha Wan Road at Kowloon. The City Plaza Mall, Fashion Walk and G.O.D are some of the famous malls you should visit for products ranging from clothes to grand pianos.

7. Madrid

Besides being home to the world’s richest football club, Madrid is also famous for its upscale shopping. The wide variety of quality products ranging from apparels to wines give it a very sophisticated edge and yet it is worth noting that the city ranks third for best prices on general luxury items in the Globe Shopper Index. The Salamanca District is famous for its collection of exotic restaurants, fashion bars and expensive shops. The main avenues are Calle Serrano and Calle Velázquez, but it is recommended that you also explore the small streets of the area, as you can find some surprises in them. Gran Via is one of Madrid’s main avenues and some tourists compare it with Times Square of New York. You can find shops such as Zara, H&M, El Corte Inglés, Cortefiel, Stradivarius, FNAC etc. Other shopping places in Madrid include Chueca, El Rastro, Principe Pio Mall, ABC Shopping Mall etc.

6. Tokyo

Tokyo is a pocket-friendly destination where shoppers can find goods ranging from luxury clothing and footwear to cutting-edge technological gadgets. Since it is Japan we are talking about. Its hand in technologically-advanced equipments goes further than anyone elses. At Ginza, you’ll come across recognized brands like Chanel and Cartier, as well as massive department stores like Matsuya and Hankyu. At Omotesando, a six-story shopping complex features a wide range of independent boutiques and iconic brand names like Harry Winston and Yves Saint Laurent. If you want to go easy on your pocket, then Harajuku and Ameyoko Arcade are the places to be where you will find a variety of bargain shops and street shops offering knock-offs, exotic spices, and discounted garments and shoes.

5. Milan

It is often referred as Italy’s Fashion Capital and is the country’s largest shopping center too! The obvious reason behind its luxurious status is that it also happens to be the place where you will find the headquarters of well-renowned brands such as Valentino, Gucci, Versace, Prada, Armani and Dolce & Gabbana.

Milan’s most famous fashion district is quadrilatero della moda which includes the city’s prestigious shopping streets(Via Monte Napoleone, Via della Spiga, Via Sant’Andrea, Via Manzoni and Corso Venezia). In addition to this, world’s first-ever shopping mall, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is also situated here. All you have to remember before buying getting on a plane to Milan is stuff your handbag with all the money you can because it is after all, an expensive affair.

4. Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur being the sixth most visited city in the world makes it obvious that it would have an equally wide range of goods to offer to its shoppers. It justifies this title very well and is known to be one of the world’s top cities to shop in. The city is driven by its cultural diversity, relatively lower costs and shopping variety. The most famous shopping spots in the city includentral Market famous for its local arts and craft products. The concept of Night Markets is prevalent in the city and the most famous of them could be found at Petaling Street, Lorong Tuanku Abdul Rahman and Brickfields. The  Bukit Bintang which offers a large number of items suiting all pockets and has majority of the city’s malls situated there like The Pavilion, Starhill Gallery, BB Plaza, Berjaya Times Square etc that one must visit to get the best deals and discounts on goods ranging from luxury to necessity.

3. Paris

The ‘City of Love’ and Eiffel Tower also happens to be the most admired shopping destinations of the world. It is also referred to as the “International City of Style”. It is most famous for its Haut Couture or high-fashion boutiques. Many designer stores have their biggest outlets here like Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Sephora and many more. Petit Bateau is often cited as the most famous street for shopping in Paris and other must-visit stores include Azzedine Alaïa, Colette and Cartier. One of the oldest existing perfumeries, Guerlain, is also headquartered in Paris.

2. London

The capital city of London is also one of the most famous cities for shoppers from all around the world. Home to designers Vivienne Westwood, Galliano, Stella McCartney, Manolo Blahnik, and Jimmy Choo among others, it is safe to say that the city knows its style.

The well-known Oxford Street is not only the busiest shopping area in the whole of Europe but is also the longest street in U.K having over 300 shops. A fair improvement over the previous 2 on this list, you do not need bag full of money to spend here as the shopping is not very expensive or luxurious. Some famous stops along this street are Debenhams, HMV, Marks and Spencer, Selfridges, Harrods etc.

1. New York

This particular shopping destination is number one for more than one reason. The city that is abuzz at all hours of the day is a shopper’s paradise because it is simply a place fit for all. From inexpensive street shopping to high-end brand names, this city has it all. Besides suiting all pockets, this town offers diversity in terms of style and taste. Fashion has most definitely seen a revolution in this place, each phase leaving its mark on the present-day city. Therefore, it doesn’t matter what your shopping preferences are and however antique or chic, a taste you have, New York is the perfect stop for you. Some places visited by New Yorkers for shopping are Jackson Heights, Flushing and Brighton Beach. Needless to mention that visiting Times Square is a must on a NYC trip and so is the very famous Fifth Avenue!