Buenos Aires offers a very large variety of shopping possibilities. Enormous malls, elegant and small boutiques, and even open-air handcrafts sellers are found all over the city.
Take a look to the following Buenos Aires shopping circuits:
The pedestrian Florida Street, where many boutiques, book, music, leather, Patagonian sweaters, and pulls shops are placed.
Galerías Pacífico Mall is also located at Florida Street. Over 150 high category shops are opened from Monday to Sunday in this recycled building that used to house different offices and the railway headquarters in the past century.
Santa Fe Avenue has hundreds of small boutiques; most of them offer unique merchandise, specially clothes, gifts, bags, and shoes.
Most elegant and exquisite antiques, haute couture, (Escada, Dior, Nina Ricci, Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Ermenegildo Zegna, etc),designer fashion boutiques and gift shops are located along the Alvear and Quintana Avenues within Recoleta neighborhood, which is considered similar to the Champs Elysées, Faubourg Saint-Honoré or Montagne Ave. in Paris. Recoleta is the most expensive zone of the city.
The most fashionable zone for shopping nowadays is Palermo Viejo, the particular zone encompassing Palermo Soho and Palermo Hollywood. Local extravagant and avant-garde designers are located all around this particular district, which also houses show-rooms and art galleries.
Art and antiques are mainly found in San Telmo. The prices in this vicinity are very competitive and, of course, you have to bargain anytime you like a piece.
Cordoba Ave. just bordering Palermo Viejo is another good option. There are Outlets and off-season bargains in sportswear and clothes for women, men and kids.
Shopping Centers – Malls: are opened daily from 10.00 a.m. to 10.00 p.m. All important department stores, brand merchandising and fast food are found within these centres. Most elegant are Patio Bullrich in Recoleta, Paseo Alcorta and Alto Palermo in Palermo neighbourhood (off Palermo Viejo)
Whether you are looking for old, rare or specific books or music, a walk along Corrientes Ave. is where enormous music and book-shops are open until midnight.
24 hours open. These are a kind of drugstore, called “kioscos” in Argentina, where cigarettes, liquors, sweets, basic food, beverages and coffee are sold. These drugstores or “kioscos” are also a meeting point for young people to meet after or before dancing.
Buenos Aires also hosts many open-air fairs and flea markets, like El Rastro in Madrid, Portobello Road in London, etc. They are generally held during weekends in different green areas or squares of the city. Most important are: Plaza Serrano Fair, in the heart of Palermo Viejo, the Plaza Francia Fair in Recoleta neighbourhood, and the San Telmo market, which is surrounded by many antiques shops. We suggest the visit of, at least, one of these fairs where you will find handcrafts, antiques, clothes, books and curious articles, generally at very low prices.
The winter season sales normally start by the end of June and the summer sale starts in February. These are very good occasions to buy products at very low prices.
Do not forget to keep your purchase receipts. The 21% V.A.T. tax is refundable for all foreign people when leaving the country. Simply show the receipts or purchase tickets at your departure in the Airport and you will obtain your refund immediately.
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