Miami is one of the most chosen destinations for shopping due to its great offer. In this guide, we leave you some #GuestTravelTips in relation to different useful categories:
Let's start with FASHION
In general, most stores lower their prices and re-stock between Monday and Tuesday, preparing for the weekend. Therefore, Wednesday and Thursday are usually the best days to buy. But let's go a little bit deeper:
OUTLETS
One of the most popular outlets is SAWGRASS MILLS. It's located a bit further out and it's really huge. If you have time, it is best to dedicate a whole day, and even then it is difficult to cover it entirely. The key to not missing anything is to be very organized, arrive early, and ask for a map when you enter. On the map, mark the places of interest and previously make the outline of the route.
#GuestTravelTips: Be careful with the hours, on Sundays they close earlier. And if you can, we advise you to go in the middle of the week. On weekends it is full of people, impossible to try on clothes and the lines to pay are endless.
Also avoid going on a Monday since they run out of stock on the weekend and they don't get to replace it that fast, so you may not find everything you need. Instead, by mid-week they are ready with enough stock for the weekend.
It has places to eat like the Cheescake Factory (great option to eat good, fast and in a budget!) and Grand Lux Café (very similar to Cheescake) among other.
Another outlet in Miami is the DOLPHINS MALL. It's smaller, they have previous seasons of other brands and some current collections.
ROSS DRESS FOR LESS, is a fashion chain that offers a mix of designer clothing with other options from less recognized brands with prices that are between 20% and 60% less than department and specialty stores.
Here you will find clothes of different styles for all ages, footwear, accessories, electronic items, toys, fragrances, deco, watches and jewelry.
#GuestTravelTips: Prices go down from Monday to Tuesday night, days when they put the new items on sale. It is best to go early on Wednesdays to get the best deals; especially for shoes, suitcases, clothing, and decor items.
If you are +55 years old, Tuesday is your day! They offer a 10% discount when you sign up for their "Tuesday's club".
TARGET is another store of the kind.
In this case, they have a price reduction schedule (check every year for changes):
- Monday: Clothes for children and babies, accessories, electronics, luggage, books.
- Tuesday: Women's clothing, food products for pets.
- Wednesday: Men's clothing, health and beauty, diapers, garden items and furniture.
- Thursday: Household items, lingerie, shoes, toys, sporting goods and decoration.
- Friday: Cosmetics, hardware, jewelry and car accessories.
SHOPPING
The AVENTURA MALL is one of the largest shopping malls. You find all the brands. It's nice and near the city center, about 20/30min from South Beach. It is NOT an outlet but sometimes the brands have seasonal discounts.
BAL HARBOUR is even a little closer to South Beach, located on Collins and 96 approx. But buying here is very expensive; If you don't have much of a budget, it's more to go and visit and walk around because the place is very nice. There is a very good restaurant called Carpaccio.
DADELAND MALL, it's very cute and small, it's worth visiting, it takes up half a day. It has all the typical US stores.
ON THE STREET STORES
Outside the malls there are certain streets that group all the top stores, they are also nice for taking a walk, sitting down to eat/drink something, and shopping in a more relaxed way and in the open air.
For example, the famous LINCOLN ROAD. One of the most iconic spots in Miami. You will find everything from the most prestigious venues to other stores that sell all kinds of accessories. Lincoln runs perpendicular to the sea. You can go up and walk it from end to end. It also has many restaurants and bars to make strategic stops and chill for a while to continue shopping.
Another street that offers several stores is COLLINS ST. In Collins and aprox 7h street you can find, for example: Uggs, Victoria's Secret, Urban Outfitters, Mango, Levi's and more.
WYNWOOD is the neighborhood located in the Art District, and it also has clothing stores, accessories, interior design and other very cool independent designers. Prices tend to be expensive in general, but the neighborhood is so pretty that it's worth going to see its walls full of graffiti, have a drink or eat something and just wander about.
If you are a glasses lover, be sure to stop by ILLESTEVA, it is on the main street and in addition to having very good options, you can customize your glasses however you want and make sure you have a unique design. More Wynwood tips our special guide: HERE!
TECHNOLOGY
For APPLE fans, you can find it at different spots like Lincoln Road, Aventura Mall, Dadeland... If they are full, they put you on the waiting list so you can come back later. The good thing is that once you are with the seller, everything is simpler. When you have everything you want, they have the postnet to charge you there without having to go to a checkout point. Unless you want to pay in cash, then you do have to go to the counter. If you buy the protective glass for the phone, ask them to place it for you. They do it with a super neat machine and for free!
#GuestTravelTips: Do you want a discount of up to 20% at Apple? According to their terms and company policies, they must give this discount to students, parents of students and teachers who want to buy products from the brand. If you meet these requirements, you need to pre-register at Unidays.
Is your charger not working? If it does not have any indication of being broken and you bought it less than 1 year ago in any store they have to give you a new one for free.
If you bought some Airpods less than 1 year ago and they fail, in an official Apple store they have to replace them.
Also, pay attention to the season close to Back to School, there are usually many promotions!
Another great place for technology stuff is BEST BUY. You have one in Miami Beach, on Alton Road and 5th, inside the Fifth and Alton, 3rd shopping mall. level. There is also one at Coral Gables and another at Doral. Here you really find EVERYTHING that has to do with technology. They have a policy of 30 days to return equipment and 14 days to change software. Ask them because there are products that allow a week for returns and after that time you have to talk directly with the brand.
#GuestTravelTips: On Wednesdays they compare prices with competitors and they try to adjust as much as possible, so it's a good day to go. Another good day is Sunday, since the magazine comes out with the offers of the week. There are also discount coupons.
RADIO SHACK is another good option for tech. Their return policy is very liberal. As long as you have the purchase receipt, the original packaging and all the accessories, they accept returns within 30 days.
A good catch on this tech category is BROOKSTONE. They have very original things and at a very good price. For example, chips to locate objects, waterproof bluetooth speakers that also allow you to answer calls... You can find the location in the port (Downtown) and there are two others in the airport.
PHARMACY
Walgreens is the best. It's not super cheap but you can find everything. Also, they are everywhere!
You also have CVS Pharmacy. These two are the most popular.
MAKE-UP
The most famous place for its prices and for the number of stores in the US and Europe is SEPHORA. It has products of their brand and also of other recognized brands in the field.
#GuestTravelTips: We recommend asking for the Sephora Card at checkout. You accumulate points per purchase that are equivalent to money to get things at a lower price! Also, if it's your birthday, let them know at the checkout and they'll give you a little gift.
OTHER BUYING TIPS BY BRAND
NIKE
Do you want to get a discount on this brand? If you have a Nike account, in the month of your birthday according to their policies they must give you a 10 to 25% discount depending on the product.
In addition, when buying a product you have a 2-year warranty. If you do not have the ticket, check if the label has the details and if it was within that time, it is sufficient proof.
ADIDAS
They have a 6-month warranty as a company policy, so even if they tell you that you have 30 days for changes, it is not true. To access the 6-month guarantee, you just have to fill out an online form and attach proof that you made the purchase less than 6 months ago, a photo of the item with the fail and a photo of its label where you can see the serial number and the date the product was made.
AMAZON
If your product is late, the 1 day late compensation policy applies, which means you get a refund, a gift card, or 1 free month of Amazon Prime.
ANTHROPOLOGY
In general, they make their sales starting on Monday afternoon and ending on Tuesday first thing in the morning. Therefore, it is best to go on Tuesday afternoons to find the new sales and the best discounts of the week.
GAP
Here, all items can drop in price, except those that end at $.97. That means it won't go down anymore.
Important: Always look for Clearance garments, which have very low prices.
Most sales take place on Tuesday night, so a good day to go is Wednesday morning. If you have a company credit card (they call it "Gap Card") on the first Tuesday of the month you have a 10% discount on everything. The credit card is actually a great deal because you save 15/20% off on opening and for every $250 you add between Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic you get a $10 reward certificate to use anywhere of the 3 brands.
NORTHFACE
All their products are covered by a lifetime guarantee, so you can exchange your product for a new one whenever you want.
MACY'S
It begins its sales on Sundays and ends its sales on Tuesdays. So, you will find the best sales from Wednesday on clothing, home decor and jewelry. Remember to always ask for discount coupons.
OLD NAVY
Their policy is to select the products they'll add to the clearance shelves on Tuesday nights when the store closes. So to get the best prices, go on Wednesdays. Also, don't forget to take the discount coupons to save even more.
MARSHALLS
They sell their products twice a week but the days vary depending on the location, so it's best to ask an employee.
Also, as they re-stock on Mondays and on weekends it's usually chaotic, it's best to go between Wednesday and Friday (in fact, this day is the best because they're stocking up for the weekend).
STARBUCKS
According to the company policies, they have to re-fill your glass with any coffee or tea, whether hot or cold.
OTHER USEFUL GUIDES
The art district: Wynwood
Where to go out at night- Bars, Rooftops and Nightclubs
The best beaches