Press release -
Bargain Hunters Can Shave Hundeds Of Pounds Off Gift Items On A New York Shopping Trip
- Designer labels cost up to 73 per cent less in New York
- Seventh annual Post Office® Travel Money Christmas Shopping Guide reveals almost one-in-five items surveyed cost over 50 per cent more in London
- Sister brands Abercrombie & Fitch and Hollister offer richest pickings in New York (www.postoffice.co.uk/christmasshopping2014)
Canny shoppers can save as much as 73 per cent on top fashion items if they cross the Atlantic to buy Christmas gifts in New York rather than in London. The seventh annual Post Office Travel Money Christmas Shopping Guide reveals that there are hundreds of pounds of savings to be made stateside. Prices for some of the most sought-after brands are lower than last year¹ – even though the US dollar has rallied against sterling in recent weeks.
From more than 80 items surveyed, Post Office Travel Money found that prices for almost one-in-five of these were over 50 per cent cheaper in New York – even after sales tax of 8.875 per cent² has been added to the list price. The biggest bargains are again on designer jeans. At £107, True Religion Stella super skinny women’s jeans cost 62 per cent less than the £280 London price tag. Better still, at just £16 compared with £59 in London, Hollister men’s slim straight jeans are the best buy of all, saving 73 per cent.
Along with its hip sister brand Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F), Hollister offers bargain hunters the richest pickings in New York. From 25 clothing items compared by Post Office Travel Money, over half offered stateside savings of over 50 per cent. For example, a pair of ladies’ jogger sweatpants at Abercrombie & Fitch cost 57 per cent less in New York than in London - £25 compared with £58. Similarly, a men’s Adams Mountain hoodie is 61 per cent cheaper in New York (around £35) than in London (£88).
Besides A&F and Hollister, many other sought-after US fashion labels – among them J Crew, J Brand, True Religion and Polo Ralph Lauren - offer big discounts in New York – with prices at 30 per cent or more below UK levels. There are also sizeable savings to make on desirable underwear items at America’s biggest lingerie store. A Victoria’s Secret demi bra costs 28 per cent less in New York (£28) than in London (£40), while one of its latest range of lace corsets is 25 per cent cheaper – around £56 compared with £75 in London.
Post Office Travel Money 20 New York shopping bargains:
| Item | London | New York | Saving |
| Men’s designer jeans: Hollister Slim straight jeans | £59.00 | £16.06 | -73% |
| Women’s designer jeans: True Religion Stella Super Skinny jeans | £280.00 | £107.32 | -62% |
| Men’s fashion: Abercrombie & Fitch Mount Armstrong shirt | £68.00 | £26.21 | -61% |
| Men’s fashion: Abercrombie & Fitch Adams Mountain hoodie | £88.00 | £34.68 | -61% |
| Women’s designer fashion: Abercrombie & Fitch Mandi shirt | £58.00 | £25.05 | -57% |
| Women’s designer fashion: Abercrombie & Fitch Jogger sweatpants | £58.00 | £25.05 | -57% |
| Men’s designer jeans: Levi’s 501 Original fit stonewash jeans | £70.00 | £30.19 | -57% |
| Women’s designer fashion: Hollister Pebbly Beach puffa parka | £139.00 | £61.66 | -56% |
| Men’s fashion: Abercrombie & Fitch Upper Hudson parka | £270.00 | £125.44 | -54% |
| Skincare: Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream skin protectant 50ml | £30.00 | £14.69 | -51% |
| ‘Dream Toys’: Transformers Stomp & Chomp Gridlock | £89.99 | £48.94 | -46% |
| Make up: Clinique Long Last Lipstick | £17.50 | £10.49 | -40% |
| Women’s designer jeans: J Brand Maria high rise skinny jeans | £205.00 | £125.44 | -39% |
| Men’s fashion: Polo Ralph Lauren Epson quilted vest | £255.00 | £156.80 | -39% |
| Men’s fashion: J Crew Herringbone flannel shirt | £82.50 | £51.06 | -38% |
| Women’s fashion: J Crew mohair cardigan | £89.50 | £57.49 | -36% |
| Gadget: Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 Kids Edition | £199.00 | £139.85 | -30% |
| ‘Dream Toys’: Disney Frozen Snow Glow Elsa Doll | £34.99 | £24.47 | -30% |
| Women’s lingerie: Victoria’s Secret Demi Bra | £39.50 | £28.26 | -28% |
| Gadget: Apple iPad Air 2 Wi-Fi 16GB | £399.00 | £348.95 | -13% |
Parents can pick up big transatlantic bargains on toys too. Post Office Travel Money compared costs for this year’s ‘Dream Toys’, just announced by the Toy Retailers Association. It found that a Transformers Stomp & Chomp Gridlock costs under £49 in New York, compared with £90 in London, saving 46 per cent. Fans of the Disney film Frozen can shave 30 per cent off a Snow Glow Elsa Doll - £35 in London but around £24 in New York.
Savvy shoppers will also find that some of the biggest bargains in New York are on Elizabeth Arden skincare and Clinique make up at 40-51 per cent below London levels. The latest gadgets are also cheaper in New York: Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 3 Kids Edition is 30 per cent cheaper (£140 compared with £199 in London) and, although the savings are smaller, the new Apple iPad Air 2 costs 13 per cent less (£249 compared with £399).
The Post Office guide sounds a word of caution. While fashion items are invariably cheaper in New York, prices for perfumes are generally higher. For example, the new My Burberry Eau de Parfum (50ml) costs two per cent more in New York than in London (over £66 compared with £65). However, researchers did find that Marc Jacobs new Daisy Dream Eau de Toilette (100ml) costs 24 per cent less in New York (£53) than in London (£70).
Andrew Brown of Post Office Travel Money said: “There are great savings to be made in New York provided that shoppers have done their homework in advance and don’t assume that everything will be cheaper. Although most items are cheaper, the savings vary and we did find examples of popular Christmas gifts that were more expensive in New York - so it will pay to check carefully before splashing the cash to avoid costly mistakes.”
Over 4,000 larger Post Office branches offer US dollars on demand while this is one of over 70 currencies that can be pre-ordered at over 11,500 Post Office branches or online at postoffice.co.uk for next day branch or home delivery.
From 8am, 28 November until 8 am, 2 December, Post Office Travel Money is mounting a Black Friday/Cyber Monday flash sale on all currencies, including euro and US dollars. This covers all online purchases including currency loaded onto new Travel Money Cards and top ups to existing ones.
Holidaymakers can also use the Post Office Travel Essentials Mobile App to buy currency using their mobile phone as well as check the value of their holiday money and see how far it will stretch on typical tourist staples for the country they are visiting. The Mobile App is available to download free of charge on the App Store or at Google Play.
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
¹ Post Office research into prices of featured items in New York and London between 3rd and 7th November 2014 with exchange rates for purchases of £500 or more in US dollars on 13 November 2014.
² Sales tax in the USA varies from state to state but totals 8.875 per cent in New York, comprising New York city sales tax of 4.5 per cent, New York State sales and use tax of four per cent and Metropolitan Commuter Transportation District surcharge of 0.375 per cent.
Topics
Categories
About the Post Office
The Post Office (Post Office Limited) has an unrivalled national network of over 11,500 branches across the UK, more than all the high street banks combined, and sits at the heart of communities in Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England. The Post Office has made a commitment to maintaining its network of branches at its current size and reach. It provides around 170 different products and services spanning financial services including savings, insurance, loans, mortgages and credit cards; Government services; telephony; foreign currency; travel insurance and mail services.
The Post Office serves over 17 million customers a week and a third of small businesses. Some 99.7% of the total population live within three miles of a post office and over 97% live with one mile of a post office. For many rural communities, the post office is the only retail outlet. Post Offices branches remain highly valued and trusted, and are the focal point of many communities. For more information, visit http://www.postoffice.co.uk/.
Please note the Press Office team can only deal with enquiries from the media. Unfortunately they do not have access to customer information so can not help with customer enquiries.
If you have an enquiry regarding any Post Office product or service please visit postoffice.co.uk or call 0845Local call rates apply. Call costs may vary depending on your service provider. Calls may be monitored or recorded for training and compliance purposes. 611 2970.
