Shopaholic’s dream – the most famous shopping centers on the planet

Recommendation points

• Harrods, London
• Kvartal 206, Berlin
• Saks Fifth Avenue, Manhattan, New York
• “Fashion Show”, Las Vegas, USA
• Main Department Store (GUM), Moscow
• “10 Corso Como” (10 Corso Como), Milan, Italy
• Eaton Center), Toronto, Canada
• De Bijenkorf, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
• “Galeries Lafayette” (Galeries Lafayette), Paris, France
• Shopping center “Dubai” (Dubai Mall), Dubai, UAE

Travel lovers can be divided into several types – for those who travel to distant countries just to take a break from their usual everyday life, relaxing on the golden sand of the beach, fans of outdoor activities, conquering waves and peaks, mastering new sports and intellectuals who want to visit museums, art exhibitions or the ruins of a fortress with a glorious history.

There is also a special kind of travelers who, arriving in a new city, first of all learn about the most popular shops, markets and boutiques – these are real shopaholics who go to foreign countries just for shopping, in order to “have fun” on vacation and spend everything accumulated for new clothes, gifts to friends and souvenirs.

However, to some extent, every traveler and tourist is a buyer – in fact, one cannot return from a trip without such a trifle as a fridge magnet, a pretty sink, an exotic vase, a terrifying mask, a bottle of aromatic oil, a bottle of real Baccardi “Or a colorful poncho? And it is simply impossible to resist the sight of the magic word “sale”, especially when it comes to a well-known brand.!

Each country has its own, the most famous and popular shopping center, sometimes such shops themselves become another attraction of the city, a must-visit place on the list of every tourist.

This article presents a list of the most famous shopping malls in the world that you should definitely visit, even if you are not a fan of spontaneous shopping and do not intend to increase your luggage..

Harrods, London

The most famous department store in the capital of Great Britain is located on Brompton Road in the royal boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea, in the west of London. It is also one of the oldest businesses in England – the Harrods brand was founded back in 1824, when Charles Henry Harrod opened a small grocery store on this site..

The building of London’s most famous department store appeared in 1880, but was destroyed by fire in 1883. The new store, erected in the eclectic architectural style, appeared in 1903 in its usual place. It was in “Harrods” that the first escalator in London was installed for the convenience of buyers, and many visitors refused to stand on the stairs without a glass of brandy, which moved independently.

Celebrities who have visited the London department store at one time include members of the royal family, Oscar Wilde, Charlie Chaplin, Alexander Milne, Ellen Terry, Gertrude Lawrence, Sigmund Freud, Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh..

In 1985, Harrods was acquired by Mohammed al-Fayed, a multimillionaire from Egypt, but retained its name and unique atmosphere. In 2010, the department store was acquired for £ 1.5 billion by the Qatar Investment Fund.

The motto of the department store is “Everyone, everyone and absolutely everything” and it does its job perfectly. It is rumored that one of Harrods’ buyers once ordered an elephant, and the animal was delivered to the indicated address just a day later..

Harrods Department Store, London

Today Harrods has 90,000 square meters of retail space, more than 330 boutiques and 5,000 employees. Every day, the department store is visited by about 300 thousand people, and although the prices here are very high, many come here just to wander between shops and appreciate the wealth of choice.

Kvartal 206, Berlin

The most famous shopping center in the German capital cannot boast of such a rich history as London’s Harrods, but has already become a place of pilgrimage for shopaholics and tourists from all over the world.

Kvartal 206, Berlin

Its founder, Anna-Maria Jagdfeld, was very sensitive to the organization of her department store and traveled around the world for several months, choosing the most interesting products and analyzing the work of other famous shopping centers..

The ultra-modern building “Kvartal 206” in Berlin was designed by the American architectural firm Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, a department store opened its doors to visitors in 1997.

“Kvartal 206” is located on Friedrichstrasse, one of the most famous streets of Berlin, in the heart of the metropolis and is famous for being a fashionable and stylish place. Among the boutiques of the shopping center are the brands Yves Saint Laurent, Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Alexander McQueen and many others. In “Kvartal 206” you can buy not only clothes and accessories, but also household goods, interior items, books, cosmetics and perfumery.

Saks Fifth Avenue, Manhattan, New York

Fifth Avenue in Manhattan is known for a huge number of shopping centers and department stores, the most famous of which is “Saks Fifth Avenue”, founded back in 1867. True, the founder of the brand, Andrew Sachs, moved his business to New York only in 1902, but this does not prevent the department store from being considered one of the oldest in the city of the Big Apple..

Saks Fifth Avenue, New York

Today the Saks chain is represented by 52 Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5TH discount centers and 53 department stores in the United States, the chain stores operate in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Mexico and Saudi Arabia. However, Sachs Fifth Avenue remains an exemplary shopping center, which is equal to the rest of the chain stores..

Residents of Manhattan say that under the roof of the department store are the best goods in the entire planet, including the most famous European brands. Most famous is the shoe department on the top floor of Saks, where amazing collections of shoes from renowned manufacturers are presented.

The 10-storey building looks very restrained and at the same time stylish, located at the intersection of 54th Street and Fifth Avenue, was opened on September 15, 1924. The department store has retained the charm and style of the early twentieth century – old, rather slow elevators, Art Deco lamps, wooden counters on the first floor, given to perfumery, dark display windows and solid revolving entrance doors.

“Fashion Show”, Las Vegas, USA

Of course, the fastest way to spend money in Las Vegas is in one of the many casinos, but this city of bright lights and vibrant nightlife has something to offer shopaholics too. “Fashion Show” is a modern, huge shopping center where you can spend the whole day without seeing all the boutiques and shops.

The total area of ​​the department store is 175 thousand square meters, it is considered one of the largest in the world, there are 250 stores, several restaurants, as well as department stores of such famous brands as Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s, Dillard’s, Neiman Marcus and Bloomingdale’s Home.

The “Fashion Show” building was erected in 1981 and is distinguished by an interesting architectural solution – the department store is protected from the hot sun by a steel canopy called “Cloud”, which has risen 39 meters above the ground. The canopy length is 150 meters. In the dark, it becomes a huge movie screen.

Main Department Store (GUM), Moscow

The most famous, bearing such a “talking” name – the Main Department Store, Moscow GUM also rightfully entered the list of the most famous shopping centers on the planet.

It was planned to build a grandiose shopping center on the site of GUM under Catherine II, but the project of the famous master of classicism Giacomo Quarenghi was not completed at that time. The upper trading rows were built parallel to the Kremlin wall only in 1890-1893, the architect was the architect Alexander Pomerantsev.

Main department store, Moscow

The facade of the building is decorated in a pseudo-Russian style with elements of Russian ornamentation. In a giant three-story building, which consists of three longitudinal passages, before the coup of 1917, more than 1.2 thousand shops operated. The building has deep basements, and the combination of a steel frame and a glass roof reminds guests of the capital of the railway stations of some European cities.

Exterior of the Main Department Store building – Tarussky marble, sandstone and Finnish granite.

In 1934, the building of the former Upper Trading Rows was being prepared for demolition – it was planned to erect the People’s Commissariat of Heavy Industry in its place. However, in 1952, the building was nevertheless restored, and the Main Department Store of Moscow again opened its doors to visitors. In the 90s, the store became private property, now there are more than 200 boutiques in it, mainly offering luxury goods and expensive brands, grocery store No. 1, several cafes, restaurants, as well as a beauty studio and a showroom.

GUM has long become an integral part of Red Square, and it is rather difficult to imagine the capital without its monumental facade.

“10 Corso Como” (10 Corso Como), Milan, Italy

As you know, it is Italy that rightfully argues with France for the title of the cradle of fashion, and getting to Milan during the sales season is the cherished dream of every shopaholic. For those who consider shopping as their favorite hobby, the 10 Corso Como shopping center will become a real paradise. This Milan department store differs markedly from other shopping galleries. Opened in 1990, the mall was originally a bookstore and art gallery, founded by Carla Sozzani, a renowned Italian gallerist and former editor of Italian Vogue.

10 Corso Como, Milan

However, the usual bookstore “10 Corso Como” did not last long – already in 1991 the first boutiques of accessories and clothing opened in it, then the restaurant of the same name was opened, and in 2003 – also a stylish, albeit small hotel.

Today “10 Corso Como” is famous as a place where you can buy the most fashionable things, here immediately after the shows, right from the catwalk, the latest collections appear. Of course, all this splendor is quite expensive, but at the department store there is a separate store “Corso Como”, in which collections are sold with pleasant discounts.

Eaton Center), Toronto, Canada

Toronto’s busiest shopping gallery, located in the heart of the city, a place visited by thousands of tourists and locals every day – all this is the “Eaton Center”, which has become a real city landmark.

Eaton Center, Toronto

The building, which was inspired by the Vittolio Emanuele Gallery in Milan, was constructed in two phases – the north wing was erected in 1977 and the south section in 1979. The building looks very much like an Italian gallery with its domed glass roof.

Today, Eaton Center has over 230 boutiques, restaurants, cafes and service centers. The main difference between a Canadian department store and Berlin’s “Quarter 206” or London’s “Harrods” is affordable prices, there are not too expensive goods, which attracts buyers – on holidays and weekends, Eaton Center always has a huge number of visitors.

De Bijenkorf, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

The very first, then still a small shop “De Bijenkorf” opened on the old street Nievendijk in 1870, today the chain is represented by 12 department stores located in different cities of Holland, however, “De Bijenkorf” in Amsterdam is a real flagship and a landmark for all shopaholics.

De Bijenkorff, Amsterdam

The building of a shopping center in Amsterdam was erected in 1957, its classic, austere facade became an adornment of Dam Square, the main square of the capital of the Netherlands.

At De Biijenkorf you can buy anything from kitchen utensils, interior items and books to expensive clothes, shoes and precious jewelry. The cost of goods is high here, but a huge assortment, among which you can find truly unique things, attracts thousands of visitors.

“Galeries Lafayette” (Galeries Lafayette), Paris, France

The history of the most famous Parisian department store began in 1893 with a small fashion store, which was opened by Théophile Bander and Alphonse Kahn. The start turned out to be successful, already in 1912 the department store was expanded, a glass dome and an Art Nouveau staircase were added to it. The construction project was supervised by Jacques Grubert, the decor is in the Art Nouveau style, the building is located on Boulevard Haussmann opposite the famous Grand Opera. Certain parts of the Galeries Lafayette are recognized as historical landmarks and have retained their charm and original appearance since the beginning of the 20th century.

Galeries Lafayette, Paris

Many people call the Galeries Lafayette building an analogue of the Moscow GUM – both buildings have high ceilings and a glass roof, both are the main department stores in their capitals.

Today, the Parisian department store offers a huge selection of fashionable collections of clothing and footwear, and grocery stores, cosmetics and perfumery boutiques operate in it. The price of goods in the Galeries Lafayette is very high, but many Parisians shop here, waiting for the next sale.

Galeries Lafayette festive decor, 2009

The Parisian department store is especially beautiful in December – before Christmas, a huge Christmas tree is traditionally installed in its center.

Shopping center “Dubai” (Dubai Mall), Dubai, UAE

And finally – the largest shopping center in the world. Mall “Dubai” could appear only in the United Arab Emirates to complement the “collection” of countries where the most amazing gardens that have arisen in the desert, the tallest skyscrapers and the largest number of artificial islands are located.

Shopping center “Dubai” was opened not so long ago – in 2008, then there were only 600 departments, and now their number exceeds 1.2 thousand. The total area of ​​the center is 1.2 million square meters (!), The retail area is 350 thousand “squares”.

Shopping center “Dubai”, UAE

In addition to shopping in Dubai Mall, you can also visit the underwater zoo and aquarium, a cinema, SEGA – the first indoor theme park in the region, the world’s largest candy store Candylicious with an area of ​​930 square meters, KidZania – a children’s entertainment center, Gold Souk – the most the largest indoor “gold market” on the planet with 220 shops and an ice rink.

The building of the shopping center itself looks too modern and does not differ in special architectural delights. The only interesting thing is the sliding roof, which covers part of the street and becomes another department store called “Grove”. But the interior decoration of the mall is very beautiful – many bright lights, open galleries, a high roof, slender columns.

Interestingly, it was in the Dubai Mall that the first Galeries Lafayette store in the Middle East appeared. And on the “Fashion Island” with an area of ​​44 thousand square meters, there are 70 haute couture stores of such world brands as Versace, Roberto Cavalli, Burberry, Galliano, Givenchy, Hermes, Cerruti, Tom Ford and Missoni.

Mall “Dubai”, internal galleries

Agree that every traveler will want to visit such interesting shopping centers with a long history or other outstanding advantages. Wander through the fabulously beautiful Dubai galleries, ride the escalator in the respectable Harrods, order a cup of coffee at Galeries Lafayette, feel like the heroine of Sex and the City and buy amazing shoes at Saks Fifth Avenue – a great addition to have a pleasant vacation trip!