There are not only boutiques of the world's most famous brands, but also quite democratic shopping centers and showrooms of emerging designers.
Most major shopping centers in New York City:
Macy's, famous for its huge selection of clothing, cosmetics, jewelry and 10 percent discount for foreigners;
Bloomingdale's - manufacturers from around the world are represented.
Popular outlets in New York:
Woodbury Common Premium Outlets (498 Red Apple Ct, Central Valley) - huge selection, daily discounts from 25 to 65%, easy to get to from the Port Authority bus station, discount coupons available on the bus.
Jersey Gardens (New Jersey) - lots of children's stores, no sales tax. You can get there by bus from the Port Authority bus station.
Fans of premium shopping tours in New York should check out Patricia Field (306 Bowery), where all the bohemians dress. It was "Patricia Field" who created the style for the heroines of the movies "Sex and the City" and "Shopaholic". Prices here are quite reasonable.
For hipsters, New York City has a special store, New York Vintage (117 west 25th Street). The store carries items that were created by world-famous designers from the 1920s through the 1980s. Outfits are priced from $600 USD.
The Evolution store (767 Fifth Avenue at 58th Street) sells everything about life on planet Earth. For example, items that are 465 million years old, butterfly paintings, mammoth tusks, fossils of ancient fish, meteorite fragments, and tyrannosaur teeth. As a souvenir, you can buy a pendant with a meteorite fragment for 21 USD.
And, of course, you can't leave New York without visiting Forbidden Planet (832 Broadway), the largest comic book store (about 200,000 magazines). Though cheaper copies can be bought for $6-8 USD at the commission bookstore at 828 Broadway.
Tourist Tips
Virtually all purchases in New York City are subject to a 7.5 percent Sales Tax, so don't be fooled by the price tag. The exceptions are food, clothing and shoes cheaper than $110 USD and online shopping.
Souvenirs in New York are best bought not in Times Square, where everything is very expensive. You can buy the same mini Statue of Liberty 100 meters from Times Square for 10 USD cheaper, or even better, go to the market in Chinatown for them - the cost of souvenirs will be much cheaper and tax-free. For example, for 10 USD you can buy ten t-shirts here instead of one.
New York discount seasons
The cheapest time to shop in New York City is between Thanksgiving (the fourth Thursday in November) and New Year's Eve. Black Friday, the Friday following Thanksgiving, is considered a mega-discount day. You can also save before Independence Day (July 4), Labor Day (the first weekend in September), Feb. 14 and Easter.
