Shopping in Florida, or how to make your trip pay for itself, almost! (Part 2) - Orlando / Florida Guide
Florida Guide > Shopping
Since buying our villa in Florida we have been lucky enough to visit around three times per year. Over the years we have managed to work out which items are so much cheaper to buy in Florida than in the UK that the savings almost make it worthwhile going for the shopping alone although I have to admit the sunshine is a bit of an attraction too.
Next on our regular items to buy list are formal shirts from the Van Heusen store across from what is now the Prime outlets. Steve has to wear a shirt and tie for work everyday so he gets through a fair few in a year. He used to buy most of his work shirts from Marks and Spencer’s at a cost of around £20-£30 each as he like them to be all cotton or high cotton content. He now buys a couple on each visit to Florida as Van Heusen have easy iron 100% cotton shirts, much easier to iron than the M& S ones, for around $20-$25 each but the main attraction is the fact that they come in a variety sleeve lengths for a really good fit. We have also bought casual winter jackets and knitwear from this store at a fraction of the price we would have to pay in the UK. You can often find discount coupons in the various leaflets that you find in the malls that can give you even greater savings.
Number four on the list is footwear, not trainers this time but shoes. Steve likes the classic oxblood coloured Timberland shoes that retail for £100 + in the UK he now has a pair still in the box, on standby, a “best” pair, a “worn in pair” and a pair for gardening. When the gardening pair eventually give up the ghost they go in the bin, the standby pair come out of the box and it’s time to buy another pair in Florida. The last pair cost just over $63 inc tax from the Timberland outlet store across from the Prime outlet. Not to be outdone I buy my sandals from either the Timberland outlet or the Naturalizer store at the Premium Outlet mall usually at around half the price they would be at home. If Timberland boots are more your thing they have a good range in lots of different colours including pink and blue for the girls again at half the UK price or less.
On our last trip in November our daughter and daughter in law both treated themselves to a pair of Ugg boots, ready for winter, from a store in the Florida Mall. They braved the crowds on black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) to get them for a third of the price they would have had to pay at home.
To be continued in Shopping in Florida part 3
Although the prices in Florida are very low please bear in mind your duty free allowances. That bargain you couldn’t resist won’t be such a bargain if you exceed your limit and end up paying duty or worse still have it confiscated.
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Page added on: 23 December 2007
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