Goods for the tourist. My personal rating of camping equipment stores. Tourist shops in Sochi, Adler and Krasnaya Polyana

A shopping tour is a tourist trip, the purpose of which is to purchase certain types of goods that are characteristic of the host country.

The essence of shopping is that in the shortest time you need to go around a larger number of stores, spend as much as possible more money and buy as many things as possible. The first to use the concept of "shopping" in 1956 was the American Barbara Zelinski. She formulated the main principles of shopping and set a world record: in 1 minute 55 seconds she spent her husband's salary in a supermarket.

Shopping is done in the country of residence and in foreign countries. The latter are of maximum interest to shoppers, as they produce goods that cannot be found in their homeland.

The semi-legal Russian shuttle business, whose representatives in the early 90s dressed and shod compatriots, no longer exists. Now this type of activity is called in the English manner - shopping tourism

The shuttles, accordingly, turned into shopniks. Now among them there are fewer and fewer traders from the markets and more and more housewives who can spend $ 50-100 thousand in one trip to Milan. The geography of trips has also expanded. Instead of Greek fur coats and Chinese slippers, Russians are bringing new European fashion items from Paris and Milan.

Anyone who today goes to Italy and France for shopping, calling himself a shop tourist, probably already does not remember that ten years ago he would have been called an ordinary shuttle. Tents from the markets of free Russia, having quickly mastered the markets of Poland, Romania and Bulgaria, began to gain prestige in Turkey and China. According to the calculations of experts from the Institute for the Economy in Transition, in 1995-1996, shuttle traders imported into Russia consumer goods worth $ 2.5-3 billion per quarter, that is, they accounted for a third of all Russian imports. And according to the Turkish trade office, in 1995, Russian shuttle traders bought goods from Turkey for $ 3-4 billion, which amounted to about 25% of the total volume of "shuttle imports" from this country.

About how many Russians regularly traveled abroad to "chill out" in the midst of perestroika and in the first years of reforms, we can only speak approximately. According to Goskomstat, in 1995 Russians made about 1.5 million shopping trips in 1995. According to the participants of the tourist market, the owners of small shops and counters in the markets, on average, make 10-15 trips a year. It turns out that in 1995, when this business was flourishing, about 100 thousand people were actively "shuttling" in the country.

The first signs of the decline of the shuttle industry appeared on the Chinese border while the business was still flourishing. In 1994, the Chinese government tried to stop Russian shuttles from entering the country by taking appropriate measures. The logic of the Chinese authorities was simple: the Russians damaged the country's reputation by buying mostly cheap goods of low quality. Soon, Russian officials began to look closely at shop tourism. In 1996, a government decree was adopted restricting the free import of goods into the country. Without paying customs duties, it was allowed to import goods for $ 1000, and their weight should not exceed 50 kg. Looking ahead, we note that this limitation was in effect until recently. The value of the duty-free consignment was increased to $ 2,000 only from January 1, 2003. However, the most serious blow to shuttle traders was struck in 1998: air tickets rose in price, and the markets were overflowing with things that no one bought.

As the Russian economy began to recover from the consequences of the default, the shuttle business was revived, but now under the name of "shopping tourism". True, tour operators note that the number of shopping tourists in the country has decreased several times, but they do not undertake to name a specific figure. The fact is that the share of non-professionals in the total tourist flow has decreased. According to tour operators, only 50-70% of shopping tourists are owners of small shops and outlets in the markets. The rest are just individuals, very often housewives, who in recent years have begun to actively go shopping abroad.

Shop tours in their present form are a unique phenomenon inherent only in Russia. Although Europeans do shopping while traveling, they rarely purposely go out for two or three days just to wander around the shops in another country, and even accompanied by a guide. And even more so, they do not buy shop passes. Europeans mainly go shopping in a neighboring province or in a free economic zone: for example, from France and Spain to Andorra.

The same countries are in demand with the shop-tourist today as they were ten years ago. They go for shopping to China and Istanbul, where the quality of goods has noticeably increased in recent years. United are still popular United Arab Emirates where buy household appliances and electronics, and Italy, where they go for clothes. True, Russians are now interested in shopping not only in Rimini, but also in Milan. Interestingly, if at first shopping trips to this capital of world fashion were organized to order at the request of wealthy clients, now less wealthy Russians are also actively interested in them.

Compared to the nineties, shopping tours are becoming more and more Europeanized. Clients today often place orders at European factories, order deliveries of new collections. Denis Bashkirov, general director of the Open Sky travel agency, notes that the French direction is now actively developing, which was not in demand among Russian shop tourists before. In particular, those who go shopping are very fond of the Parisian district of Saint-Denis. They go there for ultra-fashionable youth things. But for classic suits, evening dresses and clothes of large sizes, it is customary to go to Germany, which in recent times is becoming more and more popular with Russian buyers. The reason, according to Alexander Laiko, is that the goods of German manufacturers are more accessible to most Russians in comparison with the products of other European countries. Shoes are usually bought in Austria and Italy. Russians still willingly go to Greece for fur coats, and to Istanbul for sheepskin coats.

In the near future, new shopping directions are unlikely to appear. Rather, the already well-studied countries will be "worked out" in more detail. For example, in Italy, Russian shopkeepers have not yet mastered Naples, which could be of interest to the middle class: the prices and quality of goods are higher here than in Rimini, where most Russians go shopping, but lower than in the elite Milan. However, while tourists are stopped by quite high price ticket to Naples.

The peak of professional shopping tourism is in September, as well as on March 8 and the May holidays. Amateurs have no pronounced seasonal preferences. Housewives most often go shopping twice a year to stock up on clothes for the whole family and closest friends.

Shopping tours are of the following types:

Group shopping tours (there are obligations and without obligations)

Individual V.I.P. shop tour

Shop tour + rest

Group shopping tours with commitments are very beneficial for so-called shuttles who are engaged in the resale of goods purchased abroad.The peculiarity of these trips is that an agreement is signed with an agency, according to which the tourist must spend a certain amount, usually from 4 thousand euros. At the same time, the flight and accommodation are very inexpensive, and in some tours, for example, to Greece, the seller bears all the costs. The program includes visits to wholesalers, factories, shops, where everything is sold at purchase prices.

No-obligation shopping tours are not much different from a regular tourist trip. They are ideal for those who are not going to trade on an industrial scale, but want to buy something exclusively for themselves. The cost of these trips is made up of the price of the flight, accommodation, meals and, in fact, the amount that the tourist is willing to spend on the satisfaction of the enacted shopaholia. The approximate price of a ticket to European countries will be 550-700 dollars per week per person, and even cheaper to Greece - 300-600 dollars. The tour operator is obliged to provide a guide who will show and tell about the best trading places... But you have to be careful here. It is advisable to familiarize yourself in advance with the shopping routes in the country that the tourist is going to visit, and refrain from shopping in nondescript, abandoned, unknown shops, even if the guide strongly recommends them.

Individual V.I.P. a shopping tour is designed for one person or one specific group, taking into account all the wishes of customers.

Shop tour + rest are usually held in summer time, combining vacation on the resort coast with a visit to fur shops or factories.

Group, individual V.I.P. shop tours are held all year round.

Professional and amateur travel budgets vary widely. Traders purchasing certain commodity, spend about $ 8-10 thousand. Expenses of shop owners - as a rule, from $ 5 thousand. The budget of an average amateur is even more modest - from $ 2 thousand. A wealthy housewife can spend $ 50-100 thousand for one trip to Milan.

The market for shopping tourism is developing so actively that recently travel companies refuse to sell the so-called tours with commitments. Now, instead of selling a ticket to a client at the lowest price and then obligingly demand from him to purchase goods for a certain amount, travel agencies are increasingly switching to a "floating percentage": you spend more while shopping - the trip is cheaper. When buying a shopping trip, the client pays, for example, € 600 for a week's shopping in Paris. Then, if during the trip he buys goods worth € 7,000, the company returns € 300 to him. Anyone who has spent from € 5,000 to € 6,999,000 will be paid € 250, and so on in descending order. The cost of a shopping tour usually includes an air ticket, visa, accommodation, meals, medical insurance, the services of a purchasing consultant and a Russian-speaking guide in the store.

Shopping tourism is trips to other cities and countries for the purpose of shopping in local stores and spending time in shopping and entertainment complexes. Usually, shopping tourism combined with educational travel. This kind of trip is a kind of business tourism and originated in time immemorial. Most likely, shopping tourism dates back to the times of the primitive system, when representatives of tribes made long journeys for the purpose of exchange trade. The Great Silk Road and trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks. Of course, in those days, shopping tourism was the lot of the few, it acquired its true mass character (like the name itself) at the end of the twentieth century. Today, shopping tourism is extremely diverse and accessible to both wealthy people and tourists of average income, and even for young people.

Types of shopping tourism

There are not very many types of shopping tours. Traditional shopping tourism can be distinguished, when a trip is not tied to a specific date, since it is carried out to a country (for example, or China), where you can always make a bargain purchase. There are also shopping tourism, timed to coincide with periods of sales, seasonal discounts or new clothing collections. Such trips are often carried out to countries (for example, France), where you can buy expensive exclusive items at discounted prices. Another type of shopping tour is weekend trips. Due to their short duration, they do not force the tourist to make changes to the work schedule and are usually practiced in nearby countries.

Geography of world shopping tours

Las Vegas, Paris, New York, Milan and Miami are in the lead in the global ranking of the popularity of shopping destinations. Each of these cities is characterized by certain groups of goods, for the sake of which travel is made. At the same time, shopping trips to most cities are carried out in order to buy inexpensive branded clothing. Ranked first, Las Vegas is famous for its chic boutiques of famous trade marks, where, according to statistics, 69% of those who came to this center of the gaming industry make purchases. Paris and Milan are the fashion capitals of the world and amateurs also go there for shopping. stylish clothes and shoes from all over the world. And, for example, in Tokyo, which closes the top ten most popular shopping capitals, people often go to buy cutting-edge technology or outdated (from the point of view of the Japanese), but very cheap electronics.

Shopping directions relevant for Ukraine

Due to its geographical location, shopping tours from Ukraine are appropriate to the countries of Europe and the Middle East, since a trip to Miami for fashionable clothes will simply not pay off. Among European countries, the most popular shopping destinations are Romania, Greece, France and Italy. For example, poor residents of Chernivtsi and other western regions of Ukraine often go to Romania for cheaper consumer goods and even food. Greece is famous for the cheapness of fur products, and France is famous for clothing and footwear of world brands. A real mecca for lovers fashionable clothes is Italy. Here you can buy original clothes from Armani, Versace, Valentino, and other brands without extra charge. Trips during the period of seasonal discounts are especially popular. Among the Middle Eastern countries, he is the undisputed leader. Here you can buy inexpensive shoes, clothing, leather goods, carpets and much more at substantial discounts. Recently, shopping tours in the UAE are gaining popularity. The capital of this state, Dubai, is a free economic zone with a very low import duty rate. In this regard, almost all imported goods are much cheaper here than in Ukraine or the EU countries. It is especially profitable to buy electronics here, jewelry, fabrics, furs, watches and, of course, local souvenirs.

Since ancient times, a knife was considered more than a tool of labor or hunting. In the Middle Ages, knives were decorated with precious stones and handles made of expensive metals. The higher the status of a person, the more beautiful his knife was.
Let's talk about the choice of a knife, what their types are, the main characteristics and, of course, about the ratio of price and quality - there is no way without it. Nowadays, the knife is the main weapon in battles, firearms have long been pushed into the background by edged weapons. Where the knife and its quality are very important, it is in the hunt, when cutting carcasses, or the last chance for salvation.
For a city dweller, a knife is primarily a means of self-defense against criminals. As a rule, the offender, seeing that the victim is armed, retreats. Small knives are suitable for self-defense, so that there are no problems with the law, folding knives may well be suitable. In the folding knife, the handle completely hides the knife blade, you can even carry it in your pocket without risking injury.
Among the criminal world, "thugs" are widespread - automatic opening knives. Less popular "butterfly knives" - in which the blades are hidden in the halves of the handle, but such a knife requires handling skills. Also very popular is "Finca" - the name comes from Finnish knives. But "finca" has little to do with a real Finnish knife. Any knife with a straight butt bevel and blade thickness up to 4-6 mm is suitable under the name "finki".
Let's now talk about choosing and buying a knife. First of all, it is worth deciding for what purpose a knife is needed, as well as the types of knives:
- Hunting
- Throwing
- Kitchen
- Survival knives (multitools)
For hunting, the ideal knife will be with a fixed blade, it is easier to wash it from blood or dirt, and there will be less hassle with it. The steel of the blade must be moderately hard, resistant to corrosion, able to keep sharpening. Steel on a Rockwell scale of 55 to 59 HRC is ideal. When the hardness of the steel is more than 59 HRC, the blade will be brittle. The length of the blade can vary from 50 to 130 mm and the thickness is 3-8 mm. You should also pay attention to the handle. For the handle, wood, bone, polymers are well suited. The knife should fit well in the hand and be comfortable to work with. It is preferable to take a leather sheath with a comfortable and reliable fixation of the knife when wearing. Good knives made of Damascus steel, thanks to the combination of two types of steels (high carbon and low carbon), they hold excellent sharpening. If we look at such a knife under a microscope, we will see a saw on the cutting edge. Damascus steel is an excellent choice for hunting, but you also have to fork out, because the price of such a knife will vary from 5,000 rubles.
Throwing knives are usually a solid piece of metal. A hole is drilled in place of the handle to balance the knife. The handle itself is sometimes wrapped with a cord, for convenience. When buying, you should pay to general form knife, it must be symmetrical. The center of gravity should be approximately in the middle of the knife. You should not take a knife with very high hardness, if the knife hits a stone, it will break. The blade length varies from 90 to 160 mm. Also, do not buy folding knives for the purpose of throwing, they have useless balancing and they will break at the first unsuccessful throws. Price good knife will range from 1000 rubles. If you buy a set of knives, it will cost up to 7,000 rubles, depending on the quantity and quality. There are many ways of throwing knives, the main one is non-reversible - in which the knife does not make a turn during flight, and with a turn of the knife - with this technique, you have to calculate how you need to throw the knife so that it reaches the target exactly with its tip. Throwing knives is a separate topic ...
Kitchen knives - steel must be resistant to corrosion, good sharpening and be reasonably flexible. Do not trust the sellers that they say their knife is not dull, all knives lose their sharpening and everything has to be sharpened. The price of kitchen knives is not high, knives are usually made from of stainless steel... The handle is made of wood or plastic, it is worth choosing the one that fits well in your hands and will not rub.
As for the knives for survival (multitool), this is a good tool without which you cannot do without during the hike, because to have pliers, wire cutters, a file, a corkscrew, etc. in one "case". this is good. But if you lose your survival knife, you will be left without hands.
You can't do without a knife on a hike. Slice bread and other foods, peel potatoes, open canned food, plan a staff, tent pegs, and more. But in order for the knife to serve you for a long time, you need to know and follow the rules for using and caring for it.

Knife care

After each use, wipe the knife with a cloth (handkerchief), sponge or paper.
It is most convenient to clean the knife with ash from a fire, applied to a cloth or piece of paper, then wipe it - the blade will be dry and shiny.
Clean the cutout on the blade and the inside of the handle with a match (thin stick).
If the knife is not stainless steel, you can wipe it with a cut onion, it will not rust.

Knife rules

Always cut and plane away from you, forward, so as not to cut yourself.
To avoid dulling the knife, only cut food on the board.
Moisture damages the knife, so do not put it on the grass, and do not stick it into the ground, or into living trees.
Pass the knife with the handle forward, and the blade towards you, and never, while passing, do not throw.
Do not hit the knife with a hammer or stone.
When closing the penknife, be careful to keep your fingers on the outside of the handle.
If the knife is not a penknife, it must be worn in a case.

In our online store knives of such famous companies how.