Where to buy cheap clothes? Cheap fashion in Andorra
Andorra: 4.5% VAT and no taxes on imports
Of course, the best place to buy clothes is a place with a lot of choice and low prices. Better still, where you can not only buy it but also combine the shopping with doing some sport too.
An ideal place for shopping and recreation – both in winter and in summer, is Andorra. The main advantage of this country in comparison with other European countries is the low taxation rate. The Principality has one of the lowest VAT rates in Europe (4.5%) and the absence of import taxes makes shopping in this country the most profitable within the borders of Western European countries.
Therefore, every year almost 5 million Spaniards and French go to Andorra to buy cheap clothes, including the clothes made in Spain and France. Cheap clothes produced in France and Spain are cheaper in Andorra, encouraging people from many European countries to go shopping in Andorra.
This applies, by the way, not only to clothes but also to ski equipment, electronics, alcohol, tobacco, and some food products, which in Andorra are also cheaper than in neighboring Spain or France by 15-20%. In the various shops of Andorra la Vella during the period of seasonal discounts, the difference in prices for luxury goods is even more.
Because of the small territory, Andorra can not compete with the shopping malls, in which up to a thousand brands are represented in one place at once, it is possible only in America or China. At the same time, Andorra la Vella has the maximum concentration of boutiques, shops, and shopping centers per square meter. For example, on Carlemany and Meritxell avenue, you are within walking distance of boutiques stores, luxury goods, and sports shops as well as supermarkets selling food and alcohol.
Andorra also can not compete with online stores, for example, with Amazon. Online shopping is only available in Andorra at andorrafreemarket, which sells household appliances and electronics. Delivery of the goods is usually not more than 3-4 days.
But this, maybe, is the advantage of this country. Online shopping can be cheaper, but not all people like to buy online. Most buyers need tactile contact with the goods. The shopping strategy of Andorra is based on the principle: not from the goods to the client, but from the client to the product. And the basic concept is to make shopping a part of the entertainment and cultural experience of the country.
It is also worth noting that designer brands such as Louis Vuitton, Chanel or Jean Paul Gaultier are not found in Andorra. On the other hand, the country works with some luxury brands, whose trading house policies do not provide for the construction of individual boutiques. For example, in the shops of the principality, you can find products of leading companies such as Prada, Armani, Hugo Boss, which are on the same shelf as other high-street brands. It is this form of sales that makes prices attractive.
But from the point of view of the supply of sports goods and high-street clothes – Andorra has no equal. In the shops of Andorra, one can find nearly all top brands of sportswear and equipment.
At the same time, the absence of luxury individual boutiques in Andorra is compensated by the country’s unique natural landscapes, mountain skiing, thermal springs and developed tourist infrastructure.
Look here for more about shopping in Andorra
