Page 184 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Stockholm

182  TR A VELLERS ’ NEEDS

SHOPPING IN STOCKHOLM

Stockholm is worth visiting for the shopping Gamla Stan is a good place for handicrafts and
alone. All the best shops in the central area unusual knick-knacks. Södermalm and Vasastan
are within easy walking distance and they have antiques and second-hand shops.
stock virtually everything anyone could want. Cameras, mobile telephones, furs, children’s
There are plenty of small boutiques for clothing, toys and Swedish glass are cheaper
fashion and interiors, as well as antiques in Sweden than in most other countries. No
shops, luxury international designer outlets expedition is complete without a visit to one
and well-stocked department stores. of the city’s splendid market halls, which sell
Shopping is good all over the city. Exclusive Swedish delicacies including reindeer and
shops can be found in fashionable Östermalm. moose meat, caviar and cloudberries.

Opening Times or-return basis, providing that
Most shops usually open at this is noted on the receipt.
10am and close at 6pm,
although many in the city Value Added Tax
centre remain open until 7pm.
Most shops are open until 2pm Value added tax (“moms” in
on Saturdays, and the major Swedish) is charged on all
department stores stay open items except daily newspapers.
until 5pm. Large stores, The VAT rate is 25%, except on
shopping malls and a number food, for which the rate is only
of shops in central Stockholm 12%. VAT is always included in
are open on Sundays. Market the total price.
halls are closed on Sundays and
public holidays. Larger super- Tax-Free Shopping
markets are open daily until 8pm.
Residents of countries out Biblioteksgatan, an attractive shopping
side the European Union are street in Stockholm
Payment
entitled to a refund of the
All the main credit cards and VAT they have paid on their Sales
travellers’ cheques are accepted purchases. Tax-free shopping Twice a year Stockholm’s shops
in most shops. If you pay by with Global Refund gives visi tors and department stores have
card, you may be asked for a cash refund of 15–18 per cent sales with reduced prices on
proof of identity; many shops on their departure from the EU. clothing, shoes and other
require a PIN number. Goods Look for the “Tax-free shopping” fashion goods. Sales are
can be exchanged, if you sign. Global Refund is at all indicated by the rea sign.
produce the receipt. Purchases departure points, including The year’s first sales start
can usually be made on a sale- Arlanda Airport. after Christmas and continue
throughout January. The
second sales period lasts
from late June to the end
of July.
Shopping Centres and
Department Stores
Stockholm’s best-known
superstore is IKEA, which has
become a popular tourist
attraction in its own right. It
sells not just furniture but also
everything else for the home,
and all at attractive prices. The
textiles section is parti cularly
good, as well as the kitchenware
and porcelain departments.
IKEA’s store is located outside
the city but is easy to reach
NK, Stockholm’s most exclusive department store by a free shuttle bus from

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