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Online shopping: US brands just got cheaper!

Virginia Graham
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
 
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With the exchange rate on the Australian dollar moving as high as US$0.96 this week, a two year high, if you have a penchant for US designers such as Marc Jacobs or Ralph Lauren, now is as good a time as any to check out all the online sites. But why stop there? Virginia Graham looks as why it's worth it to shop online.

The Australian dollar has strengthened against most European currencies as well, so any designer that you like, you could possibly compare their sites, too. The European economies have not been doing well, so their retail sales are very good at the moment. Remember there are online-only specials that could be great for you.

I was looking for baby presents on eBay, when suddenly it occurred to me that I could potentially buy the same items new in the sales from the US sites (including shipping) for about the same price they'd cost me second-hand on eBay, and sure enough it was true. So why not do your own research for your favourite products and see if it's true for you, too?

Christmas is not that far away, and if you're looking for something special, rather than wait for the sales here, why not let the sales come to you? If you like Gucci, Armani, Christian Louboutin and True Religion, you can shop for them all online. For women's fashion, I often get my ideas from sites such as www.netaporter.com, and then go direct to US department store sites such as www.bloomingdales.com or www.macys.com to see what sales they have in their designers sections.

The other great thing about sites such as Macy's is they have a feedback section for their garments. That way, you may have a bit more information about the clothes than you normally would shopping online.

Obviously online shopping is not just limited to clothes. Just about anything you can think of is available. Just make sure that they ship to Australia, that you are buying from a reputable source and you know their returns policy.

I love www.amazon.com for books, and www.strawberrynet.com for cosmetics. Do you have any online shopping tips? Has anything become cheaper for you now that our exchange rate has strengthened?

Your say: Do you shop online? Will you give it a go now if you can save money? What are your favourite online shopping sites? Share with us below...

By Virginia Graham from www.modelmortgages.com.au

Related video: Mega retailer BIG W is set to spark an online shopping revolution, launching 4,000 big brand items at discounted prices via their website with next-day shipping.

 
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User comments
Can someone recommend some good US online sites for Mens clothing, footwear, fragrances etc
No one seems to mention import duties when buying goods over a certain value. I bought a TAG Heuer watch online from the states and had to pay customs duties when it arrived. This was in the UK so I would think that Australia has the same policy.
AlwaysForMe.com has some great deals on plus size summer fashions, including swimsuits, sun dresses, kaftans, work out clothing and more. You can take advantage of their end of season sales before it gets warm in Australia. They have customer reviews and feedback on all of their items, international size charts and ship directly to Australia.
I love stores like saks fifth avenue for designer clothing, bags and shoes, Also love revolve clothing for some cool everyday clothes and accessories they also gift wrap nicely might i add for any of you guys shopping for christmas. For stores that don't ship internationally go to a website called hopshopgo and they will arrange the payment for you. Happy Shopping to all.
Does anyone know of a company in the UK that provides a mail forwarding service?
Can someone please be kind enough to let me know of some good US sites for some online shopping. It will be greatly appreciated.
For US purchases, I suggest using forwarding companies to ship your packages from the Unites States. A good example is VIAddress (www.viaddress.com) which I can recommend because of a pretty good experience with them. Their rates are also the cheapest among their competitors.
I use a mailforwarding company when I order from the States. She consolidates from different stores and places orders using her Credit card when the online store won't take mine. Fiona (she's an Aussie) has been in business a few years now...all my transactions go smoothly and my things get here FAST. Sh'e in Nj so clothes and shoes are tax free. Can't recommend her services enough. www.shopaholiques.com
As a sneaker junkie I've always been buying sporting footwear from the US, even when the dollar was bad. For example, Kobe's new basketball shoe goes for $220AUS in Footlocker but I can buy it in the US for about $140. I use mail forwarding services and save a minimum of 25% on full priced items, even more when they have sales. Even more if I combine multiple purchases. I've also used a few mail forwarding providers and can vouch for parceliton.com.au for the US purchases.
There are package forwarding companies in the US that will purchase the products for you, and allow you to use their address to have products sent to, then they will repackage everything in one box and ship it to you. It is especially beneficial if you want to order from multiple online stores in the US, that way instead of paying 3 different international shipping fees you only pay one which could save you a couple hundred dollars. I've used this a couple of times to order from Sephora which has a great variety of beauty products which are much cheaper than in Australia if even available at all! Other favourite sites are zappos.com have great deals on designer bags and shoes! The package forwarding company I have been using is called Parcel it on. (parceliton.com.au)They are really good with quickly responding to your requests and processing your orders! Definitely worth checking out!

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