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SHOPPING
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Shopping
W
hile for sheer size and scope Barcelona cannot compete with Paris
or other fashion capitals, it is one of the world’s most stylish cities –
architecture, fashion and decoration are thoroughly permeated by
Catalan
disseny
(design). All of this makes for great shopping, from
designer clothes and accessories to crafts and household goods. Many visitors
will find the city to be relatively cheap for a lot of items, and even more so if
you coincide with the
annual sales
(
rebaixes
,
rebajas
) that follow the main
fashion seasons – mid-January until the end of February, and throughout July
and August. Non-EU residents can get an IVA (ie VAT) refund on each
purchase over the value of €90; if there’s a “
Tax-Free Shopping
” sticker
displayed at the store (
W
www.spainrefund.com), ask for the voucher and claim
the refund at the airport before leaving.
Shop
opening hours
are typically Monday to Saturday 10am to 1.30/2pm
and 4.30 to 7.30/8pm. though all the bigger shops stay open over lunchtime,
while smaller shops close on Saturday afternoons or may vary their hours in
other ways.
Major department stores and shopping malls
open Monday
N
Where to shop
The best
general shopping area
for clothes, souvenirs, arts and crafts is the Barri
Gòtic, particularly between the upper part of the Ramblas and Avinguda Portal de
l’Àngel. Established designer and
high-street fashion
is at home in the Eixample,
along Passeig de Gràcia, Rambla de Catalunya and c/de Pelai, as well as along
Avinguda Diagonal in Les Corts. Hot
new designers and boutiques
– including
shoe, street- and skatewear specialists – can be found in La Ribera, around Passeig
del Born (c/Flassaders, c/Rec, c/Calders, c/Espartería, c/Vidrería, c/Bonaire), but
also down c/d’Avinyó in the Barri Gòtic, between c/del Carme and MACBA in El
Raval, and along c/Verdi in Gràcia. For
secondhand and vintage clothing
, stores
line the whole of c/de la Riera Baixa (El Raval), with others nearby on c/del Carme
and c/de l’Hospital, and on Saturdays there‘s a street market here. More bargains are
in the
remainder stores, wholesalers and discount outlets
found along c/Girona
in the Eixample, between the Gran Via and Ronda Sant Pere.
For
antiques
– books, furniture, paintings and artefacts – you need to trawl c/de la
Palla, c/Banys Nous and surrounding streets in the Barri Gòtic, best combined with
the antique market on Thursdays in front of the cathedral.
Delis and specialist food
shops
tend to be concentrated around the Passeig del Born in La Ribera.
Independent
music and CD stores
are concentrated on and around c/dels Tallers (El
Raval), just off the top of the Ramblas. And don’t forget the city’s
museums and
galleries
, where you’ll find reasonably priced items ranging from postcards to
wall-hangings.