Shopping in Athens is a wonderful experience, not only because we’re talking about a modern capital that has everything you could possibly ask for but also because shopping and loving every minute of it seems to be almost a tradition. From what I’ve seen, Greeks (especially women) love to shop and being surrounded with so many shops and shopaholics, cornered by so many friendly SAs and tempted by so many sales, I finally (read: took me a couple of seconds) relaxed as well. Yes, I love shopping in Athens and, after you find yourself here during one of the crazy everything-must-go sales, I bet you’ll go crazy too! I’ll skip Ermou today, because I’ve already discussed it in my previous posts and focus on other, very interesting places you can check out if you decide to go shopping in Athens:
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1. Arthur Glenn Shopping Village
From high end brands such as Dolce or Cavalli to good old chic but affordable Nine West – this surreal piece of shopping paradise sure has it all which means you definitely need to check it out regardless of your (or, let’s say, your credit card’s) spending capacity. This cute, urban village is located very close to the airport and Athens Zoo so you’ll have no problem finding it and, once you do, just park your car in the basement, hop inside the elevator and right into a fabulous world of shops and all year round sales! If you drop by during standard end of the season sales (best times are August and February) you’ll get to enjoy even more sales or, a sort of a sale-on-sale phenomenon I personally enjoy very much. Shopping in Athens is fun and, although I haven’t had the chance to really get to know this relatively new “mall”, I have the feeling it’s going to be one of my favorite places.
2. Factory Outlet
Factory Outlet is one of the reasons why I love shopping in Athens so much and, if I really must pick a favorite, I’d advise you to visit the one in Faliro. From Guess, Miss Sixty, Diesel, Replay and other street brands to high end names you can find on net-a-porter, this outlet mall is packed with all those delicious items that could probably break even Chuck Norris’ bank! I’ve snagged a pair of fab, white Replay wedges for 15 Euros (they retailed for 150 by the way!), Miss Sixty shoes for 40 (retailed just a bit over 150) and a pair of gorgeous, strappy Zanotti sandals for 80 (no comment!) and well… my fanatic shopping had to end there because I really didn’t have a good excuse for buying anything else (phew!). You want to hear the best part? Well, listen to this – while going through Miss Sixty shoes, I’ve found many new styles (most recent fall/winter collection as it was late January) and the outlet prices were much better than regular “sale” prices.
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3. Flea Market
Shops don’t work on Sundays which doesn’t mean you can’t have a fun morning hunting bargains in Monastiraki! Everyone who has something to offer will be here, some trying to sell you junk you don’t want to buy and others… well, let’s just say it’s definitely worth checking out because you can run into just anything! In fact, I’ve heard that if you show up early enough, you can even buy a perfectly good bike! Adrianou is the street you want to be walking down on weekends and once you get tired of haggling or going through piles of old stuff hoping to find something special, you can always grab a bite to eat or sit down for a cup of coffee and enjoy. I like observing people as the pass by, trying to guess where are they from and why did they choose to visit Athens.
4. Voukourestiou Street
Shopping in Athens just isn’t fun if you don’t visit one of the most expensive streets in the city and since it’s like 5 minutes away from Syntagma(walk), you won’t really lose a lot of your precious time. Mulberry, LV, Hermes, Dior, Prada and many more – all those shiny, high-end brands are right here so, if a new Louis Vuitton bag is what you have been planning to get during your stay, rest assured you’ll find it here.
5. Swap Shop
Swap Shop might easily be the only designer consignment boutique in Athens or, at least, the only one I know of! So if you enjoy knowing that your clothes, shoes or bags had a life before you, this is definitely the place to check out! Who, knows, you might even find a sold-out bag you’ve been searching for months. And if you happen to drop by during sales – even better! Check out their site (swapshop.gr) for more info and good luck, of course!
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6. Central Market
If your idea of shopping in Athens involves olives, spices, cheeses and traditional delicacies, you’ll have one busy weekend so I suggest you wear your comfy shoes! Central Market a.k.a Athens Agora doesn’t really need a lot of introduction and there is no way you’ll ever be able to miss it! Seriously! Just follow your nose and it will take you exactly where you need to be but, just so you don’t say I didn’t warn you, don’t expect it to be a nice smell!
7. Enny Di Monaco
If you’re looking for Louboutins, if you’re totally pissed because small sizes literally disappear overnight on Net-a-Porter and if 50% off sounds like a fab sale, definitely visit this high end Kolonaki shop during August (and probably February although I’m yet to check that one out). I’ve visited it first time this August and although I haven’t managed to find my perfect wedding shoes yet, the whole experience was much nicer than I hoped for. Shop Assistants are incredibly nice, not even a bit “sniffy” and I really felt comfortable here. Louboutins were on sale (50% off) which was a very nice surprise but teeny-tiny sizes were the only ones left which was a bit disappointing. So, if you wear a size 35-37, you don’t have to hurry as these sizes, apparently, aren’t really popular here!
If you’ve read my previous Athens-related posts, you know shopping in Athens is just one of many wonderful experiences this city has to offer and whether you’re a frugal fashionista or a fully-pledged-red-carpet-glam gal, I’m sure you’ll enjoy your stay! But, since I still haven’t managed to explore every corner of this huge city, let’s just keep this list open for now and I’ll make sure to keep you updated with all the new fab places you can go to in case you plan to stay long enough to do some serious shopping in Athens. Deal?
Top Photo Credit: .v1ctor.
