Great news for British travellers looking to save a few pounds on their Christmas shopping – sterling is currently riding high against the dollar which means that savvy shoppers can save as much as 50% by shopping stateside.
One pound will currently buy you 1.63 dollars, which is 8% more than the low point in July. Coupled with the fact that stores in the USA are offering goods at the same price as last year. In fact the travel survey, conducted jointly by the UK’s Post Office and Virgin Holidays, says that some popular gift items represent a massive 50% saving. The annual Post Office® Christmas Shopping Guide finds that shopping in New York and Boston is, in many cases, cheaper than shopping in London.
The sixth annual report compared prices on over 100 items across fashion, accessories, fragrance, make-up, electronics and toys. For example Women’s Hollister jeans are up to 41% cheaper, Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream is up to 47% cheaper and Furby Boom is up to 33% cheaper.
The full report compares both New York and Boston prices against London – with Boston coming out slightly cheaper on most options thanks to a lower sales tax rate. The report also has some great tips on tax and duty free allowances.
Of course it goes without saying that not all items are better value stateside and you have to offset the cost of the flight and accommodation to the US. And don’t forget to factor in the huge raft of discounts currently on offer at many of the UK department stores, in addition to the vouchers offered by the online daily discount sites. That said, with some very careful planning (and a lot of list making) there are clearly some very big savings to made this season!
