The fancy-schmanziest stores across the globe are not just places with roomfuls of steep price tags. Many are stunning museums to retail therapy, constructed in such lavish style, boasting breathtaking architecture, sculpture, chandeliers, marble floors, that they are definitely worth a walk of wonderment.
This gorgeous shopping gallery, built 1865-1877, is Italy’s oldest. Its striking cross-shaped structure is crowned by a vaulted, glass-paned roof, enclosing a shopping paradise that is one of a kind. Tourists traipse in, wonder-struck, looking up at the roof, at the designer shops and tempting pasticcerias.
In the midst of palm tree-fringed Beverly Hills is swanky Rodeo Drive with its clutch of very high-end shops frequented by Hollywood, made famous by Pretty Woman, where Vivian Ward was not allowed to shop for anything.
UAE folks swear by this many-floored, shiny mall with 1,200 stores, that has made it to the world shopping map. Kingsize, like all things Dubai-ish, buy whatever pleases your heart from designer to the mediocre. The impressive Dubai Fountain Show happens right outside the mall.
Harrods, located in Knightsbridge, London, is now one of the world’s most famous stores, having around 300 departments, ranging from cigars to pet supplies. It has 20 restaurants and an awesome food hall and even its own bank. It initially began as a grocery store in 1849.
Saks Fifth Avenue is ravishingly pretty on the inside. The exteriors leave you gasping with amazement during the Yuletide season. For nearly 20 years, the store has dazzled visitors with a spectacular light display with different themes, running every 10 minutes throughout the holidays.
When entrepreneurs Aristide and Marguerite Boucicaut opened it in 1852 it was said to be the world’s first department store and rather tony at that, engaging all the senses as planned. Designed by architect Louis-Charles Boileau and engineer Gustave Eiffel, store set a new standard for shopping.
The stately, wide Bahnhoffstrasse is Zurich's top shopping boulevard. Lined with boutiques and department stores, as expected it is one of the best places to browse for watches.
The drawing point of the enormous department store is its soaring glass dome, built in such classic style, and an Art Nouveau staircase, designed with contributions from renowned artists like Ferdinand Chanut. It's a destination rather than a shop.
Its name means Palace of Steel, for its unique steel and iron construction. The stained-glass ceilings are jaw-droppingly beautiful. The store was destroyed by a fire in 1914. It was rebuilt in 1921 after the Mexican Revolution.
Located within a Japanese shopping locality that is all about a stylish, laid-back vibe with charming streets and a peaceful atmosphere, the award-winning bookstore is a must-visit, known for its stunning architecture.
Seoul's best shopping hub is the Shinsegae, its biggest and oldest store. Established in the 1930s, it is the last word in luxury in Korea.
It started as a mere tailor shop and is today Spain’s leading department store. Founded in 1935, the group has stores across Spain and even at Lisbon. The Castellana branch is one of the largest stores, known for its elegant design, grand atrium, golden escalators, fancy balconies. Have memorable cup of coffee under its giant convex mirror.
Once a cricket stadium, the store brings class to the heart of Mumbai, offering a a place to escape from the city’s noisy hungama. Spread across three floors, famous designer Isla Maria ‘Loulou’ Van Damme saw to it that the address blended traditional Indian yesteryear looks with modern global design.
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