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In Discover New England The Guide (2005)
Americans love to shop. Gone are the days when shopping was for necessities only; nowadays, shopping is a fun day out, when family and friends spend time together. And overseas visitors are joining in. Why? Because nowhere else in the world offers such a variety of stores and, with the pound strong against the dollar, it’s all very affordable. Do you like super-size malls or European-style shopping streets? Department stores or individual boutiques? Designer names or everyday brands? Antiques or contemporary crafts that are the heirlooms of the future? New England has it all – and more!
Start with the cities. In Boston, shopping can be as sophisticated as you like, with top international names ranging from Christian Dior and Chanel to Louis Vuittonand Armani. There are familiar American chains such as Gap and Banana Republic, plus those that have yet to expand abroad. Best buys are clothes for men, women and children, from jeans to business clothes and evening dresses. Sports wear and equipment also offer big savings, and music fans always load up with CDs.
What costs £50 in the UK is often only $50 in the US. Sales are frequent (see below), and there are also special stores where sales are on every day of the year. One of the oldest is in Boston: Filene’s Basement, where the longer an item is on display, the greater the discount. A recent phenomenon is the growth of ‘outlet shops’. Here, savings range from 25% to a whopping 65% off ordinary prices. At outlet malls, such as Clinton Crossing Premium Outlets (Connecticut) and Wrentham Village Premium Outlets (Massachusetts), you will see names such as Banana Republic Factory Store, Adidas, Burberry, Hugo Boss, Versace, Nike, Escada, Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store, Tommy Hilfiger, Donna Karan and more. The easiest way to take everything home is to buy a new suitcase – at a discount, of course!
When Americans think of New England, words such as ‘independent’, ‘individual’ and ‘tradition’ come to mind. That applies to its people as well as to its shops. All through the region, you will find small enterprises dedicated to antiques, art and collectibles. Find them along Route 6A (Cape Cod, MA), or, follow scenic Route 7 that runs from Connecticut (be sure to stop in the pretty town of Kent), northwards through Massachusetts and into Vermont. New England is full of talented craftsmen and women, producing beautiful jewellery, pottery, textiles and more. Each state has a craft association and two have specialist shops. Look for Vermont’s Frog Hollow shops in Middlebury, Burlington and Manchester, or New Hampshire’s League of New Hampshire Craftsmen stores in Center Sandwich, Concord, Hanover, Littleton, Meredith, North Conway and Wolfeboro.
It’s easy to hit the sales, since they are far more frequent than other countries. Usually, they coincide with US holidays, so put these on your calendar: Presidents’ Week (mid-February), Memorial Day (late May); Fourth of July; Labor Day (early September), Thanksgiving (end of November) and the week between Christmas and New Year. But do plan and book ahead: these dates are also very popular with US travellers.
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Here is a small selection of some of the most popular places to shop across New England.
Clinton: Clinton Crossing Premium Outlets; Farmington: Westfarms Mall; Stamford: Town Center Mall; Westbrook: Tanger Outlet Center.
Ellsworth, Freeport and Kittery (with four Kittery Premium Outlets) all offer a huge variety of outlet shopping, with famous brand names.
Boston: Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Filene’s Basement, Copley Place; Sagamore: Cape Cod Factory Outlet Mall; Lee: Prime Outlets; Wrentham: Wrentham Village Premium Outlets.
Manchester: Mall of New Hampshire; Nashua: Pheasant Lane Mall; North Conway: Settlers’ Green Outlet Village; Salem: Mall at Rockingham Park; Tilton: Tanger Outlet Center.
Providence: Providence Place Mall; Warwick: Warwick Mall on Route 2.
Burlington: Church Street Marketplace; Essex: Essex Shoppes; Manchester: Manchester Designer Outlets; South Burlington: University Mall.
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