How do people go on shopping sprees when in America?

[S0CKS]

So im off to the states shortly and was wanting to go on a shopping spree - ive just read I can only do £390 worth.

How do people go on big shopping hauls in the states? And buy engagement rings etc? How do i declare it etc?

Was planning on doing Christmas shopping!

There's nothing in the USA you can't buy here. I've been twice in 2 years and I've come back with nothing of significance

I've done one trip where I took all old clothes, and discarded them in the hotel room on the last day, filling the suitcase with all new clothes - tags removed, slightly crumpled.

And I've done one where I flew out with a smaller suitcase inside a larger one, coming back with two suitcases - back in the days of large luggage allowances

😂😂😂😃not your holiday Dick.

My friend takes all tags off any purchased items in the USA and acts as though she took it with her... though she is yet to be questioned she goes normally twice a year xx

I’m not sure shopping sprees in the US represent value for money at an exchange rate of $1.3 = £1, especially when you factor sale taxes into the USD prices to get an accurate comparison to the GBP price. Perhaps I was just spoiled back in the days of £1=$2...

Labels off and never buy more than one of things cos they assume you're selling on then. Friend got questioned for this when buying matching clothes for her kids and her nieces.

It's not worth having a spree anymore with the exchange rate, the last time I had one there was in 2007 when the rate was $1.98 to the pound. I literally shopped until I dropped, the only person I know who has got stopped is Colleen Rooney.

I dare say Coleen Rooneys idea of a shopping spree is my idea of my household income!

I agree with those who've mentioned the exchange rate now.

We used to get some real bargains when it was $2=£1 but on recent visits (on both East and West coasts and somewhere in the middle) we've come home with nothing.
The only thing I bought in NY last year was an I ❤️ NY mug and that was a last minute airport purchase and was bought to replace a broken one.

I had no idea this was a thing!!

For brand names go to the outlet malls. Reading, Pennsylvania is closest to NYC. You can buy anything there. I bought matched luggage sets and filled them with purchases and took them on the plane home.

To the PP who said that it is ok if it is for personal use, that is only true within the EU. Bringing things in from outside the EU is subject to limits.

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/668106/Travelling_to_the_UK-_update.pdf

I’m going to disagree with those saying about the exchange rates - we went August last year and can’t remember which bank holiday sales we had but the kate spade handbag with 70% off, the $29 Levis and $10 converse in the outlets are still bargains at 1:1...!

Admittedly the hotels and food were noticeably more expensive than 10 years earlier but outlets still had bargains..

When my DH lived there his laptop had died and we got a new one that wasn’t quite old enough coming home.. so with that and the rest of the purchases we went through the red lane. The customs officer took one look at 5 cases at 6am and waved us on thankfully!

Also, does buy British and support your own not ever enter your heads?

I know from living in Britain (1990's) that it generally didn't with those I knew or worked with. But here's a novel idea: if you spend in your country more will go back into your economy. If you spend in the US it will go into their (or more likely China's coffers), it will never benefit Britain.

Unless you go to outlet stores there is nothing that is cheaper and worth having IMO.
Gosh there is so much to see in the US why would you want to spend time bargain hunting?

There's nothing in the USA you can't buy here.

I've yet to find a bath and bodyworks store in the U.K.

@lboogy Not true. They have Trader Joe's which has the best stuff ever. Never seen on in the UK.

@Junowhat, what a ridiculous point. If British tourists in the USA want to buy things in the USA that's a perfectly normal thing to do. Just as we hope that American tourists visiting the UK spend their money and contribute to our economy. Or are you trying to provoke a "close the borders" type bunfight?

Unless you are buying multiples of designer gear to obviously be flogged I don't think anyone gives two hoots! The exchange rate isn't that good to be smuggling in thousands worth anyway. And I'm sure just general toys/clothing classes as souvenirs. Which is surely acceptable. As the person above mentioned, going to Disney, you spend a fortune on souvenirs, clothings, toys, books, and everything else. Never been stopped on return.

My brother goes each year and takes empty suitcases and only a couple of outfits. Then fills the cases on his return.

He removes all tags and obviously washes and wears the clothes whilst out there. He's never been stopped.

Just to reiterate my point earlier.... my sister purchased her trainers from Jersey Gardens outlet not from the normal stores. I honestly didn't find anything l wanted.

Same with Disney. Kids are too old for Disney clothing that can be purchased in Primark any way and they certainly grew out of dust attracting soft toys years ago. Only thing l purchased in Disney was magnets of each of the parks we visited

@junowhat, take a chill pill and relax. Tell all those multimillionaires that they should be saving and investing their money in the UK rather than in offshore accounts. Tell them not to have multiple homes on the Algarve, in the Bahamas, wherever. If the OP is on holiday and wants to buy a few bits, don't be such a kill joy.

Plus from what you have said, I am assuming that you only buy British tomatoes/broccoli/salmon/face creams blah blah blah.