Many of us are addicted to online shopping, mostly for convenience but also due (with some notable exceptions as per below) to disappointing retail experiences in Australia where merchandising and service are often less than compelling. But have we lost something in doing our shopping by clicks? For many us, venturing into the wider world, wandering through boutiques, markets and historic department stores has always been one of travel’s great pleasures, whether it’s looking for a special souvenir to remind us of our stay, nabbing a bargain we can’t find at home or soaking up the atmosphere of a souk or bazaar. Face-to-face shopping is more than retail therapy or just buying more stuff.
It can be a means to converse with strangers, understand cultures and directly support artisans and people in struggling economies. For seasoned world shoppers, it’s as much the experience as the purchase. The thrill often relates to good service and finding something unique, something to treasure that has a memory attached to it.
Traveller asked seven Australian retailers, some with a strong online presence, to name their favourite shops and shopping cities around the world and to share tips from their travels. Christine Barro, Christine, Melbourne The interior of Liberty, a prestige London department store housed in a Tudor-revival style building. Credit: Getty Images Doyenne of Melbourne fashion, Christine Barro was for many years accessories buyer at the now- closed women’s fashi.