Miami-Fl Shopping

Miami-Fl Shopping information

Best areas

If designer gear is what you are seeking, Bal Harbour is filled with upscale boutiques and beautiful people. You will find Chanel, Saks Fifth Avenue, Louis Vuitton, and many other designers. If this doesn't quite fit your budget, still come to window shop and lunch alongside the wealthy of Miami. Lincoln Road is a locals' favorite, a pedestrian street in Miami Beach filled with stores and restaurants, and a great place to people watch. Bayside Marketplace is a waterfront complex containing stores, the Hard Rock Café, and various restaurants, making it great for families to visit. Live entertainment takes place there every Saturday and Sunday. Miami's top choices in shopping malls, of which there are many, include Aventura Mall and the Dolphin Mall. Many shopping centres in Miami offer discount coupon books to foreign visitors, available by inquiring at the information desk. Sawgrass Mills is an outlet mall so big that many visitors come several times to "see it all". This mall offers outlets of many popular stores in the US, such as the Gap, Banana Republic, Ralph Lauren and Ann Taylor. This the best place to find a bargain, although exhausting and always crowded. For those seeking a different experience, the downtown area of Miami contains many small stores selling perfume, knock off designer wear and handbags, and many products normally only found in South America and the Caribbean. Stores are open throughout the week and on Saturday for shopping. When visiting the area, beware of pick-pockets.

Markets

Espanola Way is a quirky, charming street in Miami Beach filled with stalls selling the wares of local artists and craftsmen on Saturday and Sunday. You can browse through collections of paintings and Latin American crafts.

What to Buy

Foreign tourists will no doubt seize the chance to fill their shopping carts with American designer and highstreet labels while they're in Miami. Sportswear and fashion clothing are favourites. Sneakers, CDs and new season lines from chainstores such as Gap are often launched in the US first before going international and prices, although not cheap, are favourable when compared to destinations such as Europe and the UK. Other Americana that is often tempting includes everyday utensils and electrical goods. Although with these, as with CDs, DVDs, Video games and the such like, ensure that they are compatible or can be adapted to use in your home country before you buy. In Miami, alligator is unique to the area and while the meat is available in restaurants to tempt your tastebuds, in stores the skins are crafted into various purses and wallets. You can also of course, find 'gators emblazoned on souvenir t-shirts all over the place. Also, the Cuban heritage has made it possible to purchase Cuban seed cigars, as close as you can get to the forbidden Cuban cigars. These are available in various cigar shops throughout Miami.

Opening Hours

Generally shops are open Mon-Fri 10h00-21h00, Sat 10h00-19h00, Sun 12h00-18h00.

Tax Refund

The rate of sales tax varies by city throughout the US and ranges from 4% to 15%. It is applied to the price at the checkout, although some items are exempt. Currently Florida imposes a sales tax of 6.5%. There is no federal system for refunding sales tax, although you may qualify for an exemption if you plan to immediately ship your purchase outside the state you buy it in. If purchasing an expensive item you should ask at point of purchase about the possibility of obtaining a tax exemption on that particular item.