Are (Chloes, etc) any cheaper when purchased in Italy?

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viba424

viba424

O.G.
Dec 9, 2006
2,302
519
#1
Is there a possibility of saving any money purchasing a Chloe while Im on vacation in Europe, or will the exchange rate nullify any chance of that? Ill be going to London.

From my experience, the answer is probably no, but I wanted to see if any of you had experience otherwise. Campers werent cheaper in Spain! I was just wondering if there would be a better selection or a chance of a sale if they were purchased where they were more plentiful.

Regardless, some of the must beautiful leather and jewelry I have purchased in europe has come from the work of craftsmen and not the high end stuff anyway. Any thoughts?
 
#2
I don't know about London and the English Pound - I think that might nullify all possible savings. I do know, however, that in France and Italy, as they're on the Euro, savings exist (well, with the Australian exchange rate at least). I saved a couple of hundred AUD on the LV Alma I purchased. I presume it would be the same for Chloes as well, but I'm not too sure.

A good point of reference might be the net-a-porter site as they list their Chloes in pounds, so if you just convert it you'll be able to find out the approximate price of them in London.

Hope that makes sense and helps you slightly.
 
#3
I bought my Gucci Pelham canvas in Italy and it is cheaper than US by 20%. All these comparsion are before tax as I got mine from the airport duty free. My friend got her Fendi Bbag in Rome too and she claims she saves around 20% too.

Nefy
 
#4
I bought a paddington wallet in Paris for $325.00 after VAT refund and discounts which seems like a great deal but when Saks, NM and BG go on sale, they sometimes go up to 60-70% off so it comes out even cheaper than buying in Europe. I could have waited for the sales but was not certain they'd still have what I wanted so I plonked down the Euros for my wallet. Months later, NM had my wallet at $220 but I had no regrets. It's part of all the shopping fun.
 
#5
I think with the weak dollar right now, we Americans don't have much purchasing power overseas. Though most designer bags are manufactured in Europe, the unfavorable exchange rate will probably nullify any savings that exist. Travel safely and have a wonderful time!
 
#6
I will have to agree - plus I am not sure whether London is the best place to search for bargains - it is a great place but in my experience also more expensive than France or Italy (e.g. I bought Sergio Rossi's in italy for 20% less than London - might have been the shop though - small place etc)

have fun!
 
#7
I don't know about London, because I never made large purchases there, but I know when I've been to France & Italy it was definitely cheaper to buy certain designers there, even before you got the VAT returned. I don't know specifically about Chloe though. Might be worth looking when you're on vacation and if it isn't then you can just buy what you want when you return.
 
#8
I'm not sure about London either....the USD value is way to low right now. My cousin and his wife came here from London over the winter and they had a blast shopping in NYC since it seemed like everything was half price to them!!
 
#9
The instability of the dollar has meant that Americans shopping in Europe or the UK is kind of crappy. Five years ago the exchange rates favored the dollar (one Euro was about $0.80, US).

Lately, the Euro has been hovering around $1.26 and $1.32. When I went to Paris and St. Barths, I just had to remember that every pricetag I read was going to be about 30% more than the number on it (because I was converting to USD).

Today, one Euro is $1.316.
 
#10
Thanks for the input. I bet it just depends on what brand you're looking for. I hear London is generally really expensive anyway. Ill just play it by ear. My favorite purse of all time is a small cognac purse I got in Florence for $50, I swear I get complements every time I carry it. So Ill have faith in shopping spontanaety and see what I come up with I guess!

I like the net a porter idea. Good way to check.
 
#11
My suggestion is to avoid name brands and look for the locally manufactured stuff, it's quite beautiful. The Italian leather is lovely and the local craftsman are quite proud of their work. I got a lovely bag in Lucca last Spring, inexpensive and made there.
 
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