Shopping in Finland - outlets, shopping streets and boutiques

Shopping in Finland is not only an advantageous enterprise, but also an interesting adventure. In Finnish department stores you can buy high-quality goods of both local and foreign production. In this case, the likelihood of encountering fakes is minimal. In the online stores and shopping centers of the country, there are regular sales attracting customers with enormous discounts. Finland has two sales seasons. The first begins after Christmas and finishes at the end of January, while the second starts in the second half of June and ends with the approach of autumn. Finnish stores open at nine or ten in the morning and close at about six in the evening. On the other hand, shopping centers are open until nine in the evening. On Saturdays, all stores work on a reduced schedule and on Sundays, most of them are closed.

The main direction of shopping in Finland is the acquisition of souvenirs. These include items such as; Lapland hats, felt boots, ornaments from Arctic gold, plates from Finnish glass, “puukko” knives with horn handles, shaman handicrafts, wooden items made from junipers or Karelian birch, dolls in national Finnish costumes, Åland wool, vessels for marinating herring, figurines of mummies, accessories for saunas, and deer magnets. Clothing, accessories and utensils from the Finnish design house “Marimekko”, known for their bright coloring, as well as local-made thermal underwear are quite popular. You can also bring fresh or smoked fish, canned fish, Finnish salami, blood sausages, licorice bread, “Fazer” chocolate, “Domino” biscuits, cloudberry jam, Karelian pies, Christmas gingerbread, and berry liqueur, as souvenir.

One of the best cities for shopping in Finland is Helsinki. Most of the shops in this city are located in the Central Station area. These are the hypermarkets “Forum” and “Stockmann”. The large shopping center “Kamppi” consists of more than a hundred outlets, as well as three dozen cafes and restaurants. The Punavuori region is the capital quarter, nicknamed “designer”. Here you will find salons and boutiques where you can buy exclusive clothes and interior items. The main shopping street of Tampere is Hämeenkatu. You will find large shopping centers like “Sokos” and “Lidl” situated on it. On the street Puutarhakatu is located the shopping center “Antill”. To all who intend to devote an entire day to shopping, it is worth going to the “Idea Park” situated on the outskirts of the city. Here more than two hundred shops are operational. Tampere is Finland’s second largest city, but its prices are much lower than in the capital. Also, the city’s stores are famous for their discounts of up to 95% during sales periods. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

The city of Kouvola is the best place for those who are tired of the fuss. On Manski Street, the main shopping street of the city, are concentrated trendy boutiques and shopping outlets, souvenir shops and grocery stores where Finnish delicacies can be purchased at affordable prices. At a two-minutes’ walk from the train station is the “Sokos” department store, while the new “Veturi” shopping center meets customers at 3 kilometers from the center. In the cozy town of Jyväskylä are many unique shopping establishments. These include art salons, where Finnish jewelry is sold, antique shops, bookstores selling ancient volumes, stores selling clothes from eco-friendly materials. The hypermarkets “Prisma” and “Lidl” are also located here, likewise shopping complexes “Torikieskus” and “Colmiculma”.

The city of Turku is the center of food shopping. On the famous Trade Square local farmers offer food products, and masters trade handicraft goods and souvenirs. The largest shopping complex of the city is “Hansa”, where you can buy clothes, foot-wears, fur products, ornaments. In the “SCANCIS” shopping center there are about ninety diverse shops. In the city of Lahti it is worth visiting the store of youth clothing “Jack & Jones”. In the salon “Eurocangas” are sold readymade curtains and textile products for a house, as well as high quality fabrics. The main shopping center of the city is “Trio”, where you can find clothes and foot-wears, cosmetics, toys and other goods. One of the most budgetary stores in the country is the “Euromarket” in Kotka. Household cleaning products can be purchased here at the “Robinhood” store.