juliedean

Hi all
Have been following this forum for some months now but am soon to actually take the plunge and move to your lovely island this summer - hooray!

What I'd like advice on is shopping - specifically clothes and furniture. When I was there last month I didnt see any shops other than the supermarkets and high end luxury shops. Where are the Barbados equivalents of Next and Marks and Sparks? Surely everything cant be ordered online and airfreighted in?

We will need to furnish a house when we arrive. I've been told that house sales are good value but having spent the last 3 weeks getting rid of our clutter in England I wouldnt want to buy stuff in a similar condition in Barbados. Can anyone advise?

Thanks

Burcliff

Hi I'm in the same boat looking like its cheaper to replace your stuff when you get there is what I'm seeing but looking for the same advice good look ,moving there this year thanks Simon

juliedean

I'm guessing that the deathly silence to my post yesterday means I'm asking a stupid question

Serendipidy

Hi Julie welcome to the forum

Just bear with people for a response feedback on the site is slow at weekends

Courts is the equivalent of furniture shops in UK although options are limited ...there are oa few furniture places dotted around..trying to remember the name of the place up by peoples college but when i relocated my options were garage sales as the prices are phenomenal new.

As for clothes there are several malls including Bridgetown and Warrens but clothes again are expensive..I brought mine on my travels .

I dont really understand why everything from food to clothes is so expensive in Barbados and the cry goes up about its an island and everything is imported but the same could be said for instance for St Lucia but things are cheaper there. Having limited options and thinking outside the box is key to adapting in Bim...locals tend to get their clothes from the US as family members travel or ship barrels

Expats leaving sales are honestly your best bet or shipping your own where furntiure is concerned and consider shipping some barrels of new clothes and other essential things like cosmetics and bathroom feminine items which are real expenisve...the good news is shoes are bountiful and cheap lol

juliedean

Thank you!! Really helpful post Seren - am scouring the M&S site for bargains!

Sunniebgi

Serendipity has it pretty much spot on..

Courts, DaCosta Mannings, Standard are the 3 main furniture stores.. but you can also get certain things at PriceSmart and Cost-u-Less and Shopsmart.

Do it Best home centre for some smaller items among other locations.

I can't imagine where you went while you were here last month if you only saw supermarkets and High end shops.. guessing on the west coast.

Clothes?? bring them with you.. or go to Swan Street and see what you can find.

There are other, out of the way places for several things. just be careful what you buy and were... keep your receipts..

and I agree Dipity.. have no clue why it's soo much more expensive here.. except.. the shipping is further, we are not in the Island chain .. and.. not only do stores pay duty on the items they bring in .. they also pay duty on the shipping costs as well.. (beyond me.. I give up..)

I purchase my clothes and shoes in the USA (well actually I wear Birkenstocks which I have found are actually cheaper here, but you have to get them from a podiatrist who sells them.. you wouldn't find the real thing in a regular store).

good luck...

you got your work permit.. or your ability to live here?? that's very important as well...

juliedean

I think I understand!

Bring everything with me! Husband off to work extremely unhappy at impending shopping spree! His last words were dark mutterings about 'import tax'. Can someone advise about how this works? Do we pay duty per item or by the crate?

It seems such a shame that the Barbados economy is losing out to British chain stores. Are there craftshops where people will make furniture?

Thanks - and I will be patient this time.

Sunniebgi

nope.. never said anything about "bringing everything with you".

We have stores that import furniture.. household, kitchen etc.. it's just not going to be as cheap as you would like it to be.. check out www.courts.com.bb the prices are in Barbados Dollars which is pegged to the US dollar at approximately 2 bbd to 1 usd..

your clothes can also be purchased here, but you don't need to get everything from LimeGrove Lifestyle centre.. or you will go bust in a hurry..

Funny enough.. wasn't Courts a British Chain store here in the Caribbean before they got taken over by another company???

also remember.. We operate on USA 110 electric currant with a 50hz cycle.. so, bringing electrical items will require a transformer.. those are better to be purchased here...