London Exclusive: A Shopping Day at Harrods

Being abroad in London this Fall, I have gotten to enjoy the best parts of the city including museums, restaurants, theatre, and of course, shopping! Over the past couple of months, I have learned to navigate the city pretty well, but I am still constantly finding things that surprise me. London is a very diverse city, and you can notice this from just looking at the people walking around or touring through the various neighborhoods. Each little area of London has its own distinct character and flavor, and all them are connected by the extensive underground train system. When you read travel guides, you may see lists that recommend the same, touristy things over and over again like the Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, and Big Ben. However, there is so much more to London, it is hard to define a single experience of the city. I have had the opportunity to embark on so many different adventures while I’ve been here.

When I was initially planning to come to London, I was already expecting to be thrown into a bustling environment since London is such a big, crowded, and lively city. However, the big announcement of the Brexit vote in June has really allowed me to see the city from another interesting perspective. I have gotten the chance to talk to many locals about their opinion on Brexit, and it is quite a controversial, divisive topic of conversation. Even though the formal procedure for exiting the EU has not take place yet, Brexit has had wide reaching effects culturally and economically. As we’ve reported here on PurseBop, the Brexit vote has already weakened the pound, and the UK is now one of the cheapest places to buy luxury goods at the moment.

Tourists taking a holiday in London will benefit from lower prices and the VAT refund depending on the strength of their currency. However, it is still important to take into consideration that London is one of the most expensive cities in the world and has higher prices for everyday expenditures, so the money you save might be marginal. Also, if you are coming to enjoy London for either the attractions or shopping, it is a good idea to consider the political implications of Brexit even as a visitor to have a deeper understanding of the state of things around you.

I’ve gotten to experience some of the pricing aftermath of Brexit first-hand as a visitor. I thought I would share my observations of prices with luxury goods in a shopping trip through one of London’s most iconic department stores called Harrods.

Let me first start of by giving you a sense of how massive and spectacular the store is….