TRAVEL: We’re tops for shops abroad

A NEW shopping survey from Expedia.ie has revealed that Irish travellers are the most likely in Europe to buy clothes abroad.

Irish shoppers surveyed cited ‘better savings than at home’ as the main reason they shop abroad, according to the survey – and with currency markets in flux savvy shoppers can now find great value shopping abroad.

Over 30 per cent of Irish travellers confessed to pinching pennies by stocking up abroad, second only to the Danes (35 per cent) when admitting to shopping abroad to save.

The top reason for spending abroad for French, Spanish and Italian travellers is the love of shopping (34-37 per cent) compared to 22 per cent Irish.

Irish travellers also top the list for buying clothes abroad, with 77 per cent of holidaymakers saying they shopped for clothing on their last holiday.

New York is considered by Irish travellers to be the best value for money (19 per cent) and to have the highest quality items on sale (20 per cent), while a huge 48 per cent of Irish respondents surveyed said the Big Apple was the top destination they wanted to visit outside Europe, followed by shopping Mecca, Dubai (10 per cent).

Not surprisingly for Dubs who live here, but the capital was towards the bottom of the list of European cities respondents wanted to visit to shop, with less than two per cent of those questioned rating Dublin as a shopping destination in Europe.

London, Paris, Milan and Barcelona were the top four destinations rated by the European respondents.

Expedia’s Commercial Director for Northern Europe, Alex Platts, wasn’t surprised with some of the survey findings.

“The Irish have a well-worn route to London and New York, so it comes as no surprise that those cities are top of the list for Irish shoppers,” he said.

“The world looks to London and New York when it comes to shopping, with both cities associated with quality and value.

“However, there’s a whole word of unique goods and wonderful experiences out there, from high fashion in Milan to flea markets in Marrakech.”