James Metcalfe
With every culture and country in the world comes new and exciting ways of doing business; what might seem like common practice in one place might seem like utterly alien behaviour to their neighbours.
There are so many interesting and unique ways of shopping present in the world; so much so that we decided to speak to several leading experts in the field hoping to shed light on some of the best out there.
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#1 Vietnam
Shopping in Vietnam is an experience that can't be missed. Since many brands manufacture their products in Vietnam, often the items do not pass quality control and even though the issues are very minimal. Factory employees may buy or receive the product for free. You'll see the products back in the Saigon marketplace being sold at 50% off MSRP.
Contributor: Alexandra Tran from hollingsworth llc
#2 Thailand
Bangkok Thailand is also great! There is the Platinum Fashion Mall or locals will call it Pratanam. It's 6 stories tall and at the top is a food court with cuisines from around the world. I recommend getting the shrimp donuts while you're there. Expect to spend a good chunk of your time here. I ended up spending 6 hours with my partner looking for tie-dye stuff. There are HUNDREDS of vendors and everything is very inexpensive and quality ranges from decent to high quality.
Contributor: Alexandra Tran from hollingsworth llc
#3 Singapore
The craziest shopping culture in the world by far has to be Singapore, the home of 24/7 malls. Singapore's famous Orchard Road is home to some 40 large full-size shopping malls with more than 5,000 stores inside. It's like the famous Las Vegas Strip but instead having one hotel-casino next to another next to another, you have multi-story shopping malls.
I went there in June and was thoroughly amused at how the entire underground metro system is lined with stores. Many of the metro stops are built under shopping malls. The ground floor of every major hotel is full of stores.
Contributor: Ky Trang Ho from kytrangho
#4 Morocco
We've been traveling the world for over 20 years, but there's one place where we experienced culture shock. It was in Marrakech, Morocco. It's a busy, loud, colorful environment that is not for the faint of heart. The souks, or shops, around The Big Square in Old Town Marrakech have everything you could imagine:
-Gorgeous hanging glass lamps with intricate metal designs.
-Romantic goat skin lamps.
-Colorful rugs and ceramics.
-Embroidered fabrics that can be custom-tailored into unique suits or dresses. Even household goods, food, spices, and baby pacifiers.
Contributor: Theresa Hewston from The Globe Trekker Family
#5 Angola
Luanda's biggest shopping is the street. One can buy everything on the street, while driving or at least while waiting in the traffic! However, these are ordinary things too. If it's Christmas you'll find many street sellers with Toys, if it's valentines, then you get gifts for your girlfriend. You'll also find others selling T-shirts, snickers, shoes... And then you discover the really weird things, like toilet seats, invoices and anything you can remember really...
This is my experience in Luanda and I believe it's one of the craziest I have ever experienced worldwide.
Contributor: Jorge & Cláudia from travel drafts
#6 Switzerland
Switzerland *has “honesty shopping.” There are these tiny little shops located in the middle of the Swiss Alps that are called- honesty shops. They sell fresh cheese, bread, milk, honey, and butter without anyone actually doing the selling or guarding the store. They are owned by farmers who are usually busy with their animals. All you need to do is leave money in the little basket that is left there. Giving their customers so much trust leads to great customer honesty and loyalty.
Contributor: Nate Masterson from maple holistics
#7 South Korea
In South Korea, it’s insulting to tip. The employees get fair wages and work hard for their money. They are so proud of themselves and their work, that it is considered insulting to tip them.
Contributor: Nate Masterson from maple holistics
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