Shopping in Turkey - outlets, shopping streets and boutiques

Despite the fact that Turkey is a great destination for beachside recreation and “all-inclusive” hotels in the opinion of many travelers, fans of shopping will easily find many places where they can pamper themselves with pleasant and original purchases. Just like in any European country, Turkey can offer many shopping centers, branded shops, signature factory shops, street stalls, and, of course, oriental bazaars that have become famous around the world. Turkey is one of the cheapest countries in the Mediterranean, but that doesn’t mean that items from Turkey are of low quality. Actually, quite the opposite. It is possible to buy quality items, gifts, and souvenirs at affordable and reasonable prices in Turkey.

All Turkish cities have shopping centers that tourists may want to visit. Many of these centers are open in tourist areas, and the majority of them work from 9 am to 9 pm. Some shops can close for a lunch break from 1 pm to 2 pm. However, many shops in resort areas stay open until the last client, so they close after midnight. Sunday is a day off. In autumn and spring, local shopping centers can lower their prices by up to 30%. Prices in such shops are indicated on price tags and are fixed. Tourists can benefit from this feature. Knowing the price of the item you liked in a shopping center, it is easy to bargain in bazaars when shopping for similar items. Quite often, this trick helps to buy items in bazaars even cheaper than in shopping centers. In shopping centers, it is possible to pay with both cash and credit cards.

It would be a great mistake to visit Turkey and fail to see its famous bazaars. Local bazaars are not just places to trade. They have become one of its most signature landmarks that emphasize and underline its local heritage. There are no fixed prices in bazaars. This means that if you want to buy something, prepare to bargain. Turkish people are very communicative and friendly. Bargaining helps to lower prices significantly because local traders always intentionally tell a higher price to tourists. It is possible to pay for purchases in dollars, euro, and the national currency of the country - lira. However, tourists need to keep in mind that it is easy to find replicas in local bazaars, so tourists who want to purchase expensive and branded items are better to visit large shopping centers instead. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

In Turkey, there are several outlets that tourists particularly enjoy visiting. Deepo outlet, which is located close to the airport of Antalya, is the most famous of them all. It offers discounts all year round. As a rule, the discounts vary from 30% to 70%. During the sales period, it is possible to buy items with a discount of 90% of the original price. Visitors will find both goods by Turkish manufacturers and various European brands. The outlet also offers a range of sports clothing. In the capital of the country, tourists can visit the Forum Outlet. It has 140 shops that sell different items with discounts of up to 90%. Olivium Outlet, which is also located in Istanbul, is very popular with locals. It consists of more than 130 shopping pavilions, restaurants, bowling center, and a cinema.

Until recently, there was no such term as “seasonal sale” in Turkey. The official summer sale season starts in July and ends in September. Winter sale period starts in January and ends in March. However, seasonal sales happen in shops and shopping centers only. These promotions do not concern street vendors and sellers in bazaars. End of October is the start of the best time to buy items from these sellers. The summer tourist season ends, and sellers do not want to bring their goods back, so they lower prices to sell everything they have. Quite often, the final price can be even lower than the cost price. Every year, Istanbul hosts a shopping festival in June. During this event, local shopping centers and bazaars offer fur coats, shearling coats, leather items, clothing, and shoes with nice discounts.

The choice of souvenirs and memorable items that tourists prefer to buy in Turkey is very broad. The country is famous for its textile and quality knitwear. Bedding, towels, tablecloths, plaids, rugs, underwear – these are just some categories of goods. Turkish leather and fur goods are well-known for their high quality and reasonable price. They are the best choice for tourists seeking price-quality combination. The choice of jewelry is also very diverse. The supply is regularly updated, and all items come with quality certificates. It is hard to imagine a Middle Eastern country without carpets. Turkish carpets are not cheap, but they are famous for their premium quality. For centuries, local masters polished their carpet-making skills and have become almost flawless in it. Many tourists also buy shishas, Turkish coffee pots, coffee grinders, porcelain and ceramics as memorable souvenirs.

Without a doubt, Turkish sweets are incredibly popular. Locum, baklava, and pişmaniye have conquered hearts and stomachs of generations of tourists. Sets of sweets in originally decorated boxes are a great present that one can bring from Turkey. Tourists often buy such products as Turkish coffee, tea, and different spices. The latter are better to buy in bazaars by weight rather than packed versions in supermarkets. When it comes to alcoholic drinks, Raki is the most popular choice. This Turkish vodka is very popular with tourists. Fruit wine is also widespread in the country. The taste is unusual, but many tourists buy it as a souvenir.