Shopping in Peru

Peru is one of the top destinations for shopping in all of South America. It is a shopping haven for local crafts and artwork and small stores align the streets with handmade alpaca clothes and other textiles, woven items, and pottery. Outdoor markets are also popular, with numerous locally made items laid out and bargaining the norm. Traditional Peruvian items are very colorful and unique, and something you definately do not see in your home country. Lima and Cuzco have the best shopping for touristy souvenirs, with reasonable prices and the most variety.

Apart from being great souvenirs, buying Peruvian handicrafts even has an altruistic side to it by helping the locals make a living!

Shopping in Peru is a truly unique and rewarding experience. Read on and learn about the best deals and places to shop in Peru. If you get hungry whilst searching for souvenirs, stop for some great local food and cuisine in one of the restaurants along the city's shopping streets. For local shopping information visit:

- Cusco
- Arequipa
- Sacred Valley
- Lima
- Colca Canyon

Shopping in Peru

Handicrafts

Peru is a great place to shop for handicrafts as it offers a great range of pretty goods at comparatively low prices. Some of the most popular shopping picks among tourists are wall carpets or tejidos, gold and silver jewellery, traditional musical instruments like skin drums and pan flutes (zampoñas), carvings on wood, stone and dried pumpkins, and many other equally quaint and typically Peruvian items.

A lot of tourists also spend time shopping in Peru for alpaca pullovers and other woollen products. Sierra is especially famous, but you may find that Puno is the best place to strike a great bargain.

While shopping in Peru, make sure that you steer clear of handicrafts that resemble (or sometimes, actually are!) pre-Columbian jewellery or pottery. Even if they are only imitations or fakes, it is considered an illegal product to trade in. Should you still decide to go ahead and buy it, be warned - once the police get involved, it is most likely to be confiscated. Since it is considered a criminal offence, you'd probably find yourself embroiled in a seamy, unpleasant affair.

Buyer beware

Many items sold to the naïve shopper are actually fakes. So do stay alert, especially when you are shopping for Alpaca or (Bamba) products. It's actually quite difficult to make out the difference between an original Alpaca product and a fake one. All too often, the product would probably have only a small percentage of Alpaca blended in with a variety of other fibres.

If you're shopping for baby alpaca, don't be fooled into thinking that it's from a baby animal! Baby alpaca refers to wool taken from the first shearing and you can recognise it for its softness and fine quality.

Two rules of thumb to recognise the real alpaca from the fake one - one, genuine Alpaca is low on lustre and feels slightly greasy to the touch; two, original Alpaca is bound to be expensive. So, what about that wonderfully soft jumper that you found in a shop in Peru for $8? Most likely, it's just plain old acrylic!

Bargaining

Bargaining is a common affair when shopping in Peru. Even if you haven't ever bargained before, it's possible to strike a good deal by keeping in mind a few do's and don'ts.

The first thing to do is to try and figure out if you are actually going to buy the thing that you are bargaining for. If you aren't serious about buying, don't waste time haggling as this would be extremely frustrating to vendors. Even if you know how much the item would really cost, it's a good idea to ask the vendor for his quote. Then, check that the item suits your needs - if it fits you, the expiry date of perishables and so on.

If the price quoted is reasonable, go ahead and pay it. If not, decide on the actual price that you'd expect to pay and quote a price that is 20-30% lower. You stand a better chance of clinching the deal in your favour if you can give a good enough reason for the lower price that you're quoting. Once you've stated your price, remember that you cannot bargain any more to bring it lower, as this would be considered very rude.

If you are not able to get the item at your price, say 'No, gracias' and start walking away. Often, this refusal could get you a better bargain and the vendor might give you his last offer. Another rule of thumb - don't try to over-bargain. Often, extreme poverty can convince these local vendors to undersell without making any profit. Ask yourself if saving those few bucks is worth depriving impoverished sellers.

Where to shop

For a complete Peru shopping experience, tourists should head to Lima. The up-market neighbourhoods of San Isidro and Miraflores boast the most stylish shops and trendy restaurants where tourists will enjoy shopping and dining. At the crafts and outdoor bazaars, it is alright to bargain, but don't quote a ridiculously low figure, as this might invite a rather crude insult from the vendor.

Pisac Market is without a doubt the finest handicrafts market in Peru. Located in a sacred valley of the same name, Pisac town also offers great views and is home to ruins of a fortress that belonged to the Inca civilization. The market is colourful to say the least; many hundreds of stalls surround the main square known as Plaza de Armas and the variety of souvenirs available here are the best. On offer are handbags, musical instruments, rugs and beautiful masks. Meanwhile, Cusco has a popular open-air market, where vendors display their curios on the sidewalk. The shops meanwhile are similar to the ones in the San Blas neighbourhood and sell many handmade items. Those who are looking for cool hangout places should head to the galleries and cafes.

General Notes

Supermarkets are generally found only in cities and the prices here are much higher than in local shops. Almost every town has one prominent hall or market place.

Lima, however, is different from the other towns and cities in that it has a profusion of malls, supermarkets and departmental stores. The bigger cities have specialised markets for different articles. Usually, stores with similar kinds of articles tend to be found along the same street. So, if you know which street to visit for buying a particular item, you'll find that you are flooded with options.

On the streets of larger cities, beggars are a common sight. You may even find a few of them playing music in buses. Most of these people actually need your help - especially the ones who are handicapped or elderly. The usual amount ranges from 0.10 to 0.20 soles. This is a meagre US$ 0.03 - 0.06. Your money would really make a difference as unskilled workers get less than 10 soles for a hard day's work.

When giving alms to children, remember that your decision could lead parents into thinking of begging as being a lucrative career for their children. A better option would be to buy them food - something that most of the children here actually need.