Even the most enthusiastic of culture vultures need some retail therapy when traveling, and what’s better than shopping and saving at the same time? Outlet shopping lets you bag coveted designer digs for a fraction of the original prices and these outlets are the perfect ‘shopcation’ (it’s an actual word)!
#1 Bicester Village, Oxfordshire
Where: 50 Pingel Drive Bicester Oxfordshire OX26 6WD, England
What: Had enough of the bustling Oxford and Bond Street shopping? Just over an hour away from London in the beautiful countryside of Oxfordshire is Bicester Village, where you can shop big-city brands like Agent Provocateur, Anya Hindmarch, Dior, Mulberry, Alexander McQueen, Jimmy Choo, Cath Kidston, Burberry – the list goes on.
#2 La Vallee Village, Paris
Where: 3 Cours de la Garonne, 77700 Serris, France
What: A hop, skip and a jump away from Disneyland is the happiest place on earth for shopaholics. If it’s an option to leave the kids at their happy place (Disneyland), you might want to do that because you wouldn’t want any distraction from the wide range of luxury brands, especially French fashion stalwarts like Celine, Givenchy, Fendi, Kenzo, Longchamp – that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
#3 The Mall Outlet Centre, Florence
Where: Via Europa 8, 50066 Leccio Reggello
What: The Tuscan countryside is revered for many reasons: the idyllic scenery, historical sites and this shopping paradise. Just 30 minutes away from Florence, 0ver 100 luxury brands at slashed off prices to get excited over: Alberta Ferretti, Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Emilio Pucci, Lanvin, Saint Laurent, Tom Ford, Tods, Valentino are just a few of our favourites.
#4 FoxTown Outlets, Mendrisio
Where: Via A. Maspoli 18. CH-6850 Mendrisio Switzerland
What: The perfect accompaniment (or diversion) to a romantic holiday, FoxTown is less than an hour away from the idyllic Lake Como and on the border of Switzerland and Italy. Which explains why they’ve got an amazing range of luxury Italian brands like Gucci, Valentino, Fendi and Prada among other high end European names like Escada, Dior, Burberry and Jil Sander. We think shopping can be romantic too.
#5 Lotte Mall, Dong Busan
Where: 147, Gijanghaean-ro, Gijang-eup, Gijang-gun, Busan-si, South Korea
What: Korean retail giants Lotte has constructed the perfect ‘shopcation’ – it’s Asia’s largest mall and is spread over 49 acres of land. Housing over 500 brands, the mall is also designed to look like you’re in another paradise destination: Santorini, Greece (weird, but ok if it rocks your boat). There are also entertainment facilities including 6 theaters, a lighthouse observatory overlooking the sea, fountain square and a rose garden – perfect for keeping the kids entertained!
#6 Gotemba Premium Outlet, Japan
Where: 1312 Fukasawa, Gotemba-Shi, Shizuoka, Japan
What: Located at the base of World Cultural Heritage site, Mt. Fuji is where you’ll get a different dose of another worldly culture: the shopping culture. Go crazy bagging designer digs, there are international names like Alexander Wang, Brioni, Cole Haan, Kate Spade New York, Paul Smith, Sergio Rossi, Tory Burch and more alongside Japanese brands like Seiko and Sanrio.
#7 Woodbury Commons, New York
Where: 498 Red Apple Court Central Valley, NY 10917, USA
What: Away from the concrete jungle (approximately 1 hour 15 minutes away) is another place where dreams are made of. A shopaholics dream, that is. Spread over 800,000 square feet, this is one of the largest outlets in the world. So large that areas are colour-coded for easy coordination and there are streetcars to transport shoppers around – definitely handy when you can’t carry any more shopping bags but are not quite done yet. Brands include Balenciaga, Chanel, Chloe, Diane Von Furstenberg, Dolce & Gabana, Catherine Malandrino, Fendi, Gucci, La Perla, M Missoni, MaxMara, Oscar de la Renta, Prada, Salvatore Ferragamo, Valentino and Saint Laurent.
Tell us where you go for the ultimate retail therapy fix!
Image credit: Main, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
