Press release -
Big Apple Takes A Bite Out Of London Prices So Shoppers Can Save Hundreds On Christmas Gifts
- Big Apple Takes A Bite Out Of London Prices So Shoppers Can Save Hundreds On Christmas Gifts
- Christmas Shopping Stateside shaves up to 63 per cent off London gift prices
- US designer fashion and jeans bring best savings but top toys are a bargain too
- But beware British brands which can be almost twice the price in New York
- US shop prices are far cheaper than in Dubai, Barcelona and Paris too
Sterling may have fallen marginally in value¹ against the US dollar compared with a year ago but Christmas shoppers can still make hundreds of pounds of savings on gift items by heading across the Atlantic to buy presents. According to the annual Christmas Shopping Guide from Post Office Travel Money (www.postoffice.co.uk/christmas-shopping), prices are up to 63 per cent lower Stateside² than in London, despite the weaker pound.
From a price comparison of over 100 items in New York and London, Post Office Travel Money found the biggest bargains in the Big Apple on jeans and US designer label clothes. The report reveals savings of a third or more for three in 10 of the items surveyed but eagle-eyed shoppers will find the richest pickings at top youth brands Hollister and Abercrombie and Fitch (A&F), where several items are over 50 per cent cheaper than in London. The top saving of 63 per cent is on a Hollister hoodie, costing £45 in London but less than £17 in New York.
That will come as good news to many people because US tourism figures have revealed that shopping is the favourite holiday pastime for almost nine-in-10 (88 per cent) of UK visitors to the USA, while 28 per cent of those holidaymakers visited New York³. Now it looks as though more will be doing so in the coming months because the latest quarterly Holiday Confidence Index survey of UK holidaymakers reports that one-in-10 are planning transatlantic trips4.
Aside from Hollister and A&F, many other US fashion labels including J Crew, Michael Kors, Citizens of Humanity, Converse and Polo Ralph Lauren are priced at 27-37 per cent below London levels – even after sales tax of 8.875 per cent has been added to the price.
Accessories from in-vogue designer Kate Spade cost around 20 per cent less in New York. Her Magnolia Bakery Tally Clutch bag is priced at around £182, £46 lower than in London (£228). At top lingerie brand Victoria’s Secret, Post Office Travel Money compared the price of its best-selling So Obsessed bra and found that it to be 26 per cent cheaper in New York at £35, compared with £48 in London.
Post Office Travel Money 20 New York shopping bargains:
| Item | London | New York | Saving |
| Hollister Colorblock logo men’s hoodie | £45.00 | £16.82 | 63% |
| Abercrombie & Fitch Drapey Chambray women’s shirt | £58.00 | £26.24 | 55% |
| Abercrombie & Fitch All-Season Weather Warrior men’s jacket | £160.00 | £82.06 | 49% |
| Minions Tumbling Talking Stuart toy | £49.99 | £25.64 | 49% |
| Pie Face! Game | £19.99 | £10.98 | 45% |
| Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream skin protectant 50ml | £26.00 | £15.39 | 41% |
| Little Live Pets Clever Keet toy | £59.99 | £35.89 | 40% |
| LEGO Star Wars Jedi Scout Fighter | £59.99 | £36.63 | 39% |
| Levi’s 501 Original Fit men’s jeans (stonewash) | £75.00 | £45.76 | 39% |
| Citizens of Humanity Rocket Skinny high-rise women’s jeans (axel) | £210.00 | £130.42 | 38% |
| Converse Chuck Taylor All Star High-Top Sneakers | £65.00 | £40.38 | 38% |
| J Crew Slim vintage Oxford men’s shirt (tonal cotton) | £72.50 | £46.77 | 35% |
| Clinique All About Shadows Duo | £22.00 | £15.02 | 32% |
| UGG Mini Bailey Button boots | £145.00 | £98.91 | 32% |
| 7 For All Mankind The Skinny mid-rise women’s jeans | £165.00 | £115.76 | 30% |
| Michael Kors Parker Rose Chronograph Glitz Watch | £279.00 | £201.48 | 28% |
| Amazon Fire Kids Edition 7” tablet (8GB) | £99.95 | £73.26 | 27% |
| Victoria’s Secret So Obsessed push-up bra | £48.00 | £35.33 | 26% |
| Kate Spade New York Magnolia Bakery Tally Clutch | £228.00 | £181.70 | 20% |
| Apple Watch Sport | £299.00 | £255.70 | 14% |
Some of the biggest transatlantic bargains are on toys. Depending what fits into the suitcase, parents can shave 40 per cent or more off some of the toys expected to be kids’ favourites for Christmas, including ones featuring in this year’s DreamToys from the Toy Retailers Association. One of these, Pie Face! (£10.98 in New York), slices £9 – 45 per cent – off the London price while Little Live Pets Clever Keet toy (£35.89) is over £24 or 40 per cent cheaper. Another toy tipped for Christmas success, Minions Tumbling Talking Stuart toy, is 49 per cent cheaper in New York - £25.64 compared with £49.99.And, with Star Wars opening in cinemas next month, demand will be high for spin-off merchandise. The Post Office found the best bargain of many Star Wars toys available is on Lego’s Jedi Scout Fighter: 39 per cent cheaper in New York (£36.63) than in London (£59.99).
Andrew Brown of Post Office Travel Money said “What you can save in New York all depends on whether you have done your homework before leaving home and checked the UK prices for items on your ‘must have’ list. While we found plenty of great savings in New York, don’t assume that everything will be cheaper. For example, you could lose out by paying nearly twice as much as you would in London for British brands like Superdry and Karen Millen - so take care before splashing the cash. Use our currency converter app to check the price you will pay in New York stores to avoid blowing the budget.”
Superdry and Karen Millen lead the list of British brands that were found to cost far more in New York. Superdry’s Hooded Windtrekker weighs in at 47 per cent more (£80 in London, £117 in New York) while a Karen Millen Red Ruffled Lace Dress (£292) costs almost £100 more than the £199 price tag in London. Other brands that are more expensive Stateside include Ted Baker, All Saints, Diesel and Burberry.
Post Office Travel Money also urges caution when buying perfumes, cosmetics and skincare. Although there are big savings to be made on Elizabeth Arden skincare at 41 per cent below London store prices and Clinique cosmetics, where there are savings of over 30 per cent, most brands cost more in New York. Best avoided are perfumes by Calvin Klein (Europhia, 26 per cent more expensive in New York) and Chloe (15 per cent cheaper in London).
More reliable savings can be made on the latest gadgets. At £256, the Apple Watch Sport is 14 per cent cheaper in New York than in London (£299); while the biggest bargain found by the Post Office was for an Amazon Fire Kids’ Edition Tablet, 27 per cent cheaper in New York (£73) than in London (£99.95).
Away from New York, there are even bigger bargains to be struck on some clothing and footwear items in Boston, because of lower sales tax and higher tax exemption rates, and in Philadelphia there is no sales tax to pay at all on clothes and footwear.
However, the latest research shows that there is no doubt that the USA reigns supreme when it comes to offering the cheapest shop prices. When Post Office Travel Money compared the cost of eight items available in renowned shopping cities Dubai, Barcelona and Paris with those in New York and London, it found that London was most expensive of all while New York was by far the cheapest. Prices were 11 per cent higher in Dubai, while the same items cost 21 per cent extra in Paris and 24 per cent more in Barcelona5.
Andrew Brown said: “Sterling has been moving up and down against the US dollar in recent weeks so do keep an eye on movements to ensure you get the best dollar rate before leaving home. Take enough cash to cover both shopping and living costs to avoid incurring charges for using ATMs in the States and be aware that transactions of over £500 will attract a better rate in our branches or on the Post Office website. A safe way to carry cash is on our prepaid US dollar Travel Money Card, which can be used just like plastic.”
Over 4,000 larger Post Office branches offer US dollars on demand while up to 70 currencies 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 on Black Friday, 27th November until 8am on 1st December, Post Office Travel Money is mounting a flash sale for online purchases of five top currencies led by the US dollar and including the euro, UAE dirham, Australian dollar and Canadian dollar.
Ends
For more information, please contact:
Gabrielle O’Gara Post Office Press Office
07718977702 / 020 7250 2534
gabrielle.ogara@postoffice.co.uk
Notes to Editors:
1 Post Office Travel Money exchange rate comparing 12 November 2015 with the same day 12 months ago shows that sterling is currently two per cent weaker.
2 From over 100 items price checked by Post Office Travel Money in New York and London in October and November 2015, the biggest saving of £62 was on a Hollister Colorblock Logo Hoodie (£16.82 in New York, £45 in London). All prices quoted include sales taxes, which vary depending on the state and city. In New York items of clothing and footwear costing less than $110 are zero-rated for sales tax.
3 The latest available official tourism figures provided by Brand USA from US Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration; National Travel & Tourism Office, Market Profile
4 The Winter 2015 Holiday Confidence Index drawn from a survey of over 5,000 consumers by First Rate Exchange Services, YouGov and the Institute of Travel and Tourism found that over one-in-10 of those surveyed are planning transatlantic visits in the coming months – a two per cent year-on-year rise.
5 Post Office Travel Money comparison of costs for eight Christmas Shopping Guide items in New York, London, Dubai, Barcelona and Paris:
| Item | New York | London | Dubai | Barcelona | Paris |
| 7 For All Mankind The Skinny mid-rise jeans | £115.76 | £165.00 | £146.70 | £160.23 | £156.59 |
| UGG Classic Short boots | £113.56 | £155.00 | £114.84 | £144.94 | £145.67 |
| Levi's 501 Original Fit Jeans (stonewash) | £45.76 | £75.00 | £65.46 | £72.10 | £72.10 |
| Converse All Star High-Top Sneaker | £40.38 | £65.00 | £55.33 | £50.95 | £50.98 |
| Polo Ralph Lauren Slim-Fit Stretch Mesh Polo | £60.23 | £85.00 | £66.31 | £69.19 | £64.82 |
| Clinique Long Last lipstick | £12.46 | £18.00 | £12.60 | £17.12 | £17.12 |
| Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau de Toilette 100ml | £70.34 | £76.00 | £71.08 | £65.55 | £66.28 |
| Apple Watch Sport | £255.70 | £299.00 | £262.39 | £305.17 | £290.60 |
| TOTAL | £714.19 | £938.00 | £794.71 | £885.25 | £864.16 |
| % more than New York | +31% | +11% | +24% | +21% |
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