Page 296 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Belgium & Luxembourg

294  TR A VELLERS ’ NEEDS

SHOPPING IN BELGIUM

Belgians love to shop. They use the French most exclusive boutiques. High streets remain
term for window shopping with good reason: vibrant as Belgians enjoy the choice, service
lécher les vitrines literally means licking the and expertise of individual traders.
windows. This urge is satisfied by a host of Merchandise of all kinds is available and
excellent shops in every town and city, ranging although it is not cheap, wise shoppers
from highly competitive supermarkets to the will find it can be good value for money.

owns the GB brand), Cora How to Pay
and Colruyt are the big Most high-street shops accept
supermarket chains. Roads payment by credit or debit
leading into towns may be lined card. Most market stalls will
with large-scale commercial only accept cash. However,
enterprises – car showrooms, smaller enterprises are
hardware superstores, garden not keen on taking payment
centres and fashion outlets. with the large-denomination
The Maasmechelen “fashion notes, which include the 200-
village” (see p172) is a purpose- euro and the 500-euro notes.
built, discount-driven
shoppers’ paradise.
VAT Refunds
Those who live outside the EU
Markets can reclaim the Value Added
Towns usually host markets Tax (TVA in French, BTW in
Rue Neuve, the longest pedestrian once or twice a week, often in Dutch) for any single transac-
shopping street in Brussels the main square. They sell fruit, tion to the value of over 125
vegetables, meat, cheese and euros. VAT stands at 21 per
Opening Hours local food products as well as cent of the purchase price.
Shops are open between clothes, textiles, shoes, house- Shops that have a Tax-free
10am and 6pm from Monday hold goods, flowers and craft Shopping logo can provide a
to Saturday. Many open at 9am products. The largest mar ket, Tax-free Shopping Cheque on
and some stay open until 7 or La Batte, is a sprawling, mixed, request (customers will need
8pm, especially if they close Sunday market along the north- to show their passport). The
for an hour at lunchtime. Food ern bank of the River Meuse in purchased items and the docu-
shops and supermarkets have Liège. Many towns also have mentation are stamped at the
longer hours, from 9am to 8pm. regular or occasional antique airport customs before check
Most supermarkets and shops or flea markets (the distinction in, after which the refund can
close on Sundays, although is often blurred). The largest of be collected at the Europe
many pâtisseries are open these is held on Sunday morn- Tax-free Shopping desk.
on Sunday mornings. ings in Tongeren (see p173). Detailed information is
Christmas markets, decorated available from the main VAT
with lights and selling all sorts refund agents Global Blue
Where to Shop of festive fare, are held in and Premier Tax Free.
Most towns are built around December, from before the
a central square – the Grand Feast of St Nicolas on 6
Place or Grote Markt – which December to 24 December. Clothes Sizes
used to be the focus of trade, The EU is in the process of
guilds and the town introducing a new set of
administration in medieval stan dardized clothes sizes.
times. Today, these squares At present, however, there
have weekly markets and many are different sizing systems
of the best shops. Larger towns in operation. Some manu-
and cities have pedestrianized facturers even use “vanity
shopping streets or covered sizes”, marking larger clothes
malls at their centre. Large with smaller sizes to flatter
supermarkets selling clothes, customers. The best advice
electrical goods, hardware is for customers to get
and CDs tend to be on the themselves measured, and
outskirts, where they can certainly to try all clothes
provide parking. Delhaize, Shoppers thronging a display of fresh wares on in the shop before making
Carrefour (which now also at a town market a purchase.

294-295_EW_Belgium.indd 294 18/10/16 3:03 pm
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Practical template “UK” LAYER
(Source v1.7)
Date 5th March 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm