Italy prices vs US prices

A friend of mine is going to Italy on vacation, and I was wondering if you guys would know if it's more cost efficient to buy LV in Italy or to buy on eluxury.com (no sales tax, 4% ****** rebate, free shipping promotion). I know that prices are best in France (after VAT), but wasn't sure how LV was priced in other European countries compared to the US.

Thanks!
 
Go on the LV website but don't hit the US button, instead hit the France button which will take you into the French LV site. This will then show the prices in Euros right next to the pictures of the purses. You can get an idea how much the purse would cost in Euros and then go to a exchange calculator on the internet to do the conversion from Euros to US $. Then you'll have an idea how much the purse is in euros vs. American dollars.

By the way, I didn't realise that e-luxury doesn't charge tax!!! The only bad thing about buying my next purse (Petit Noe) at e-lux is that I won't be able to choose - I'm kinda picky and usually like to look at several of the same purse before choosing. But, it may be worth the sacrifice since there would be no tax and free shipping (until 12/14/06).
 
The prices in France are not the same in the rest of the European Union, i.e. Italy. In France it's alot cheaper than say Italy, as I recall. Italy would be priced about the same as say, the US or the UK, but in Euros. The only place in the world where the price is different is in France, b/c LVMH likes to promote their merchandise with a reduced price and couple that with tourism, etc.

It's a "Socialist" thing that France's gov't promotes through its Culture and Finance Ministries. And well, LVMH has always had the tradition of having people come to France to get their stuff there, as opposed to abroad. Good for business, great experience, and it builds customer loyalty, given the environment (Ah...Paris, tu me manques :love:)

Kinda like how you can buy your Mercedes in Germany for less and have it shipped to the US by the company. The Germans want to promote client solidarity, good business, and tourism all at the same time.

Sorry for the long winded answer :lol:
 
my speedy damier was 465 Euro :smile: that's the only price i know. plus there's tax rebates for tourists.. but the girl who got mine for me works there and was only gonna visit home so no rebate.
 
I live in Italy and shop frequently at LV in and around Italy. The dollar is continuing to fall against the Euro so the savings aren't as great as it was even 6 months ago - we also felt a price increase on Nov 1. The benefit for visitors is that all prices in Italy include the VAT tax (Value Added Tax - sometimes up to 20%) and if you are visiting Italy you can request a return of the VAT tax you paid for your purchases upon your return to the States. There are certain minimum purchase amounts, you have let the retailer know you need the VAT tax documentation at the time of your purchase, and the tax varies depending on the goods and country but it's definitely a savings! Here's a link for a better explanation VAT Chance: How to Cut Your Vacation Costs with Tax Refunds | Frommers.com. I hope this helps!