Rio de Janeiro (River of January) scored 135 in the list of the 150 most expensive cities in the world. That's why don't worry when you go shopping in this city, it is very affordable. You can spend all day in shops without feeling so guilty. In Rio de Janeiro shops are full of character and sophisticated, and you will find everything you could ever think of.
Moreover Brazil is a country of high production of gold and diamonds. Brazil produces almost two thirds of the world's colored gemstones alone. So, if you are searching sapphires, opals, rubies, emeralds, amethysts, aquamarines, topazes, or gold jewelers or diamonds, you will find them all in Brazil. You will be pleasantly surprised by very inviting prices, and will find leading world jewelers as H. Stern or Roditi operating all over Brazil.
Unfortunately the leather isn't particularly supple in Brazil, though leather goods are moderately priced and quite acceptable quality. In the up market shops of Ipanema and Copacabana you can find the better Brazilian shoes, belts, wallets, purses and luggage. The highest demand is for shoes as they have extremely good value, but many of the best are reserved for export, and larger sizes are difficult to find. In sporting-goods stores all over Brazil you can buy good quality, cheap, durable, leather soccer balls with hand-stitched panels. In differing regions throughout the country you will see different cities, buildings, property in Brazil and of course you will find arts and crafts that are another great thing to purchase in Brazil, and you will see also difference in these items. You can buy ethnic arts and crafts at various tourist and souvenir stores throughout the country; however it's advisable to go to artisan fairs, generally located outside the major cities, where local people come to show and sell their wares.
There are big shopping malls/centers very often located close to luxury Brazil property, apartments, hotels and tourist places all around the country. At least every little city in Brazil has one shopping centre. Shops seem very luxury inside and outside and you will not feel like in a South American country or a third world one. However you may see that in those shopping centers prices aren't very cheap, but if you compare prices it will be okay. Inside shopping malls usually you can find a lot of shops, from a-z all things to buy. Nowadays the biggest shopping mall in Brazil and Latin America is Midway Mall located in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte and the owners of such a huge Brazil property is Grupo Guararapes.
You can find great deals for clothes and shoes in the old downtown neighborhood of Centro. The pedestrian streets around Rua Uruguaiana, Rua da Alfândega, and Rua Buenos Aires are jam-packed with hundreds of merchants in small shops side by side which can be a fun and exotic experience for you. In the '70s it was planned to demolish this area and to make room for a viaduct, but over 1,200 shopkeepers formed a merchant's association and banded together to put a halt to the development. It's advisible to go shopping in weekdays from Monday to Friday when the downtown core is full of office workers.
Dollar is very popular currency and accepted in all banks, cambios, and travel agencies and authorized hotels, exchange offices. Even people who claim to hate shopping can't help but be drawn into the experience shopping in Brazil; it is just an incredible experience. Brazil shops feture the incredible array of goods and items on display and for sale, the shop windows, the fantastic prices and unique way of making everything that creates iconic and impressive will have anyone in awe!
By Christen Richardson