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Shop Until You Drop In Hong Kong!
The definitive league table of the best shopping cities in the world revealed
LONDON, England - 10 November 2003 Hong Kong is today revealed as the ultimate shopping city, following research from Expedia.co.uk aimed at advising British shopaholics on the best destinations for spending sprees. For Christmas gifts, new designer goods and some of the more unusual shopping treats like a face lift, Hong Kong has it all at the best prices.
Top 10 Shopping City Destinations
1. Hong Kong
2. Sydney
3. Athens
4. Barcelona
5. Dublin
6. Madrid
7. Dubai
8. Prague
9. Paris
10. New York
Holiday Shopping Highs
The research, which takes into account the cost of getting to and staying in each destination surprisingly revealed that far flung spots such as Hong Kong and Sydney are your best bet when looking for bargains abroad. Despite being the most expensive destinations to travel to, Hong Kong and Sydney – fantastic holiday destinations in their own right - offer incredible savings on all items from handy camcorders to handbags.
Shopping Musts for Everyone
Three categories of items purchased abroad were researched – ‘Christmas Gift Gadgets’ (DVD Player, Digital Camera, MP3 Player, Handy Cam Camcorder, Video Mobile Phone), ‘Luxury Items’ (Leather jacket, handbag, tailored suit, golf clubs, 1 carat solitaire diamond ring) and ‘Treat Yourself Trips’ (Facelifts, Detox Weekends, Slimming Camp, Spiritual Healing, Cookery Courses).
If you were to buy all the items in Expedia’s selected categories, the cost of your shopping basket in Hong Kong would be €8,431 - less than half of the same shopping basket in New York (€19,375).
Dermot Halpin, Managing Director, Expedia.co.uk commented, “More and more people are realising that treating yourself to a shopping spree can be much more fun and interesting and a cheaper experience abroad. From gadgets to golf clubs, or even a quick nip and tuck it seems that Hong Kong is the best place to shop till you drop and actually enjoy the Christmas shopping experience this year!”
Monsieur Gadget
Hong Kong, the home of Sony, tops the league for Hi-tech gizmos - but if it’s Christmas Gift Gadgets you’re after you may not have to travel so far from home. Dublin is the second cheapest city for those aspiring Inspector Gadgets with more exotic locations such as Dubai coming bottom of the gadget league. However the big surprise is Paris which is also great value for DVD players and digital cameras.
Top for Xmas Gift Gadgets
(DVD Player, Digital Camera, MP3 Player, Handy Cam Camcorder, Video Mobile Phone)
Cost of ‘Shopping Basket’ (Average in Euros)
1. Hong Kong €740
2. Dublin €1,112
3= Paris €1,910
3= Sydney €1,647
5. Athens €2,429
6= Milan €2,639
6= Barcelona €2,639
8. New York €3,291
9= Prague €4,443
9= Dubai €4,431
Diamonds are forever
Hong Kong may be Hi-Tech heaven but that doesn’t mean it falls in the fashion and luxury stakes either. The biggest saving in this category was buying diamonds abroad with a 1 carat solitaire diamond ring available at half UK prices over in Hong Kong. Luxury leather is to be found in the usual haunts of Milan and Barcelona but the real accessory bargains are in Athens.
Top for Luxury Items
(Leather jacket, handbag, tailored suit, golf clubs, 1 carat solitaire diamond ring)
Cost of ‘Shopping Basket’ (Average in Euros)
1. Hong Kong €4,381
2. Sydney €5,232
3. Athens €7,775
4. Milan €7,940
5. Barcelona €8,545
6. Dubai €8,390
7. Dublin €9,028
8. Prague €10,600
9. New York €10,736
10.Paris €11,575
The Shopping Olympics
The research also reveals that destinations such as Athens, not the usual hunting ground of the shopaholic, is a hot bed for holiday savings, coming in at number three in the league - a handy tip for those flocking to the city for the Olympics. Athens scored most highly in the ‘Treat Yourself Trips’ category, with treats such as slimming and detox weekends being cheaper than anywhere else.
Top for Unusual Buys
(Facelifts, Detox Weekends, Slimming Camp, Spiritual Healing, Cookery Courses)
Cost of ‘Shopping Basket’ (Average in Euros)
1. Athens €2,619
2. Barcelona €3,155
3. Hong Kong €3,310
4. Prague €3,630
5. Milan €3,655
6. Syndey €3,897
7. Dubai €4,035
8. Dublin €4,194
9. Paris €5,230
10. New York €5,348
How the research was conducted
Cities surveyed were chosen to provide a broad mix of destinations and to correlate with popular holiday destinations in their own right.
Categories (‘Christmas Gift Gadgets’, ‘Luxury Items’ and ‘Treat Yourself Trips’) and products within these were selected with the help of experts on the hottest gifts this Christmas and the most popular luxury and ‘treat trips’ purchased abroad at the current time.
Three stores/services were surveyed in each city and then the average price calculated from prices given. All prices were converted into Euros at the current exchange rate. Flights and accommodation were based on two people sharing and prices taken from the Expedia website.
For further information, contact the Expedia.co.uk Press Office on:
T: 020 7009 2806
E: expediapressoffice@redconsultancy.com
About Expedia.co.uk
Expedia, Inc. operates Expedia.co.uk in the UK and has localised versions for travellers in the US, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. Expedia and Expedia.co.uk are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Expedia, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners. Expedia.co.uk offers millions of published and discounted fares on over 450 airlines, a directory of more than 80,000 accommodation properties world-wide and 4 million rooms, car hire from the top rental companies, dynamic packaging technology and a choice of package holidays. The site also includes in depth destination guides and maps, a comprehensive travel information service, and links to relevant Web sites. Expedia.co.uk is entirely free to anyone and does not require registration. |
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