Shopping has always been one of my favorite things to do, I sometimes call it a hobby of mine. I can spend hours at the mall with my mom or friends, going through store to store trying to find that perfect addition to our closets. Some may even call me a fashionista. In this week's blog, I plan to explain a little about Melbourne's shopping culture, the stores I shopped in the most, and the shopping culture in the city. While traveling in Aussie, a local told me that Melbourne shopping was the best in the country. When I heard that I knew I had to explore the shops around town and see what they had to offer. Like I mentioned before, being a girl, shopping is one of my favorite past times, I mean it is so easy to spend money (if you have it). I always say when I have money it burns a hole in my pocket because it is so hard to save and not spend it automatically. Before leaving for my trip though I was determined to save because I wanted to be able to have plenty of spending money. By saving up money before traveling abroad, I knew I was going to be able to treat myself with a couple of things here and there. Lots of my side trips and fun activities that I had planned to do like skydiving and snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef, fell through as COVID-19 hit the fan all over the world. As a result, I spent barely a third of my savings due to the crisis. But don’t think I didn’t go shopping before I left. Melbourne Central was the main shopping mall I visited in the city with my friends. This shopping center had multiple levels with stores, restaurants, bars, and even a train station below. I compared it to a mall I am familiar with around where I live in Pennsylvania called King Of Prussia (if any of you have ever been there). The shopping culture was pretty much the same as what we are used to in the states. People wander to the various stores with diverse offerings that appeal to most. Stores are similar as well regarding the items they sell. There were shoe stores, lingerie stores, small kiosks, and more. Name-brand stores I saw that were similar were Levis, Nike, and Foot Locker. Workers in this shopping plaza were kind and vocal with their customers offering help and assistance when looking for certain things like we are used to in the USA. Something I found interesting about Australia is its K-marts. Here in America, K-marts do not get that good of a reputation (in my area that is). Meaning, their supplies aren’t the best quality and the store's locations are not usually in the best areas. Most in my area have gone out of business. It is quite the opposite in Melbourne. I shopped at K-mart multiple times while I was studying abroad. The best way to describe the vibe was that their K-mart stores were like our Targets here in the USA. There were Target stores in Australia but again, they were overshadowed by the powerful K-mart. K-mart stores had clothing, household items, bedding, bath supplies, electronics, games, and more. Pretty much anything I needed and if I needed it fast I would shop at K-mart. They were the superior convenient store that people were fond of. Something awesome about Australia was that they do not believe in the use of one-time plastic bags and require everyone to bring their own reusable bag or pay 20 cents to buy a bag to use there. Instead of paying money for a bag every time, which could get pricey plus not good for the environment I suggest that everyone invest in a portable, lightweight bag that can be used for groceries or shopping items. This idea helps people recycle their bags and reduce the use of one time plastic in the country. One of the most interesting shopping experiences I had in Aussie was when I attended the Melbourne night market. A bus picked up my friends and me from Uni and drove us into the city to enjoy a couple of hours at the well known night market. This market was definitely a cultural experience to enjoy in Melbourne. There were food vendors of all different varieties and little shops with handmade soaps and jewelry that you could purchase from local makers. Small knickknacks like postcards and keychains were sold as well in different tents. I got to see artisan work done by Australians as well as get a taste of some of their famous dishes. I definitely recommend attending this event as it really gave me an insight into Australian food, shopping, and culture. XOXO -Tori
1 Comment
1/30/2024 04:17:02 am
A shoutout for your fantastic travel insights! Your blog is a game-changer, and our recent vacation was a breeze thanks to your helpful tips. You've gained a loyal follower in me!
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