Shopping in St. Kitts & Nevis

What are you looking for? Where will you find it? And is it a bargain?
by Martin Kreiner

Let’s take the last question first: Is it a bargain? Back home, at the low to middle end, you’ve got tons of discount stores fulfilling your shopping needs. On the high end you have competitive jewellery stores and famous name designer outlets in every mall in North America and the United Kingdom.

Port Zante, our major shopping mall, is growing at an incredible rate. A dazzling array of new shops is being built featuring famous name jewellery, perfume and clothing lines. There are shops catering to every pocketbook, every taste, including souvenir shops with the ubiquitous t-shirts, post cards, maps, gadgets and gimmicks that may only be found here. There will be new bars and restaurants, possibly a hotel, places to see and be seen. Port Zante has gone from a dull, hot space in the sun to a hot place to see and be seen.

There is a challenge and fun to be had shopping for name brands, looking for unusual and sometimes locally-made items at discounted prices with no duties or VAT.
Some of the high fashion shops may well carry designs not available in your local market. St. Kitts and Nevis – not just Port Zante - has a wide variety of products to hold your attention.

Are the prices competitive with back home? They may be better. Talk to the sales people. Knowing your prices gives you a wonderful bargaining chip. On both islands you will find shops with lovely and, often, one-of-a-kind merchandise priced competitively with the dutyfree shops of St. Maarten, St. Barths and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Look for famous brand names if you know your comparison prices. In jewellery look for the unusual design, the
exciting use of coloured gold and gemstones, inlaid pink mother of pearl, blue diamonds, Caribbean topaz, fiery opals of amazing colour. Also, look in our craft markets for locally made products you will find nowhere else in the world. A shop, upstairs at Pelican Mall, is chock-ablock with carved figures. Take the time to sift through for the true work of local artisans.

Several of our shops carry fine leather goods at excellent prices. One specializes in all aspects of Land leather goods. You will also find values in cameras, china, crystal, glass and pottery and save a bundle by “shlepping” it home.

If you’re looking for your favourite fragrance, or something brand new, here are some basics for shopping for them. The manufacturer’s discount in the Eastern Caribbean is generally 20% off US retail on French fragrances and as little as 10% off some US domestic fragrances. You may also be able to find your favourite discontinued fragrance on the shelf, but be aware: if it is too deeply discounted, it may have been on the shelf far too long. Test it before you buy.

Here we have a two-tiered duty-free system. In Basseterre and Nevis shops you can make and take your purchase with you, no questions asked. Anyone can buy, including our citizens. In shops on Port Zante and in Frigate Bay, including the Marriott Hotel, you may
be asked to show i.d., a passport or ongoing ticket identifying you as someone who will be taking the product off-Island as, technically, these shops are geared specifically to the
traveller. Local shoppers may pay a higher price.


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