Shopping in Istanbul in2023
Shopping in Istanbul can be exciting and profitable, especially if you are interested in the following categories of products:
Leather and fur products:Turkey is known for its high-quality leather and fur products. You will find stores and markets where you can buy shoes, bags, and clothes made of genuine leather at affordable prices.
Clothing and Textiles:Turkey is also famous for its clothing and textile products. You can buy fashionable and high-quality things at attractive prices. Casual and sportswear are particularly popular.
Perfumes and cosmetics:Turkey produces high quality cosmetics and perfumes. You will find stores offering both local brands and world brands at attractive prices.
Jewelry:The Turkish jewelry industry has a rich history. Istanbul offers many jewelry stores and workshops where you can find unique jewelry.
Turkish tea, coffee, spices and sweets:If you love gastronomic delights, look out for tea, coffee, spices and sweets. Local bazaars and markets offer a wide range of these products.
Wine and other alcoholic beverages:If interested in alcoholic beverages, you can buy them at tekel specialized stores. They are also open late, which can be convenient.
Furniture and home goods:If you are in Istanbul for a long stay or are interested in furniture and home goods, you will find a variety of deals on furniture, home textiles, housewares and more.
In addition to these categories, Istanbul also offers a rich selection of souvenirs, traditional handicrafts, antiques and many other goods.
To get the best shopping experience in Istanbul:
- Explore Bazaars: Visit famous bazaars like Kapalicharshi Grand Bazaar and Spice Bazaar to find unique goods and bargain.
- Talk to the locals: Locals can give good recommendations for stores and markets depending on your interests.
- Haggle: Haggling is common practice in most stores and markets, so don't hesitate to offer your price.
- Learn the basics of bargaining: Try to find out the basic phrases in Turkish related to bargaining to make the process more enjoyable.
- Be quality-conscious: Buy from trusted sellers and pay attention to the quality of the goods.
Remember, it's always a good idea to learn about customs regulations and limits on importing goods into your country before traveling to avoid unpleasant surprises when you return.
Istanbul's best neighborhoods for shopping
The greater Istanbul metropolis is famous for its diverse shopping districts, each offering a unique shopping experience. You should plan your shopping with each neighborhood in mind to get the best experience.
Textiles and clothing
Osmanbey District: This district is ideal for shopping for clothes, shoes and accessories for both men and women, as well as for children. Here you will find quality leather goods and clothing. We recommend visiting factory branded boutiques and local Turkish retailers to guarantee high quality goods. The optimal choice would be the boutiques on Abdi İpekçi Street.
Nishantashi district: This area offers boutiques of European premium and luxury brands. Keep in mind that the prices here may be higher than in Europe, but the quality is always top notch. In addition, Nishantashi is known for its jewelry stores.
Istiklal Street: This pedestrian street in the Beyoğlu district offers a huge number of stores with clothing from foreign mass-market brands such as Mango, Bershka, Zara, New Balance as well as Turkish brands such as Koton, DeFacto and others. A walk down this street will also allow you to enjoy the retro streetcar and visit many pastry shops, cafes and restaurants, and in the evening there are clubs.
Leather and furs
Zeytinburnu district: Leather and fur products are located here and can be purchased at bargain prices. There are many stores in the area with a similar range of products, but it is worth visiting a few of them to find the best deals. In addition to ready-made items, it is also possible to order leather or fur garments from the factory in Zeytinburnu and it will only take a few days.
Shopping in Istanbul in 2023
Kadıköy District: When choosing gold jewelry, keep in mind that Turkey is not a gold-producing country, so be cautious of suspiciously low prices. You can find quality jewelry in the Kadıköy area, preferring stores over larger street stalls. When purchasing jewelry, always ask for a quality certificate from the sellers.
Grand Bazaar: Despite the presence of jewelry stalls, we recommend avoiding the purchase of gold items in this market, as sellers may offer jewelry that is gold-plated or silver-plated instead of made from real precious metal. For reliable purchases, it's better to visit malls and specialized stores like Altınbaş, Atasay, Koçak Gold, and others.
Furniture and home goods
Bahçelievler District: This area is known as the furniture city, and you will find many stores with furniture from both local and foreign manufacturers. You can either purchase ready-made items or order custom-made furniture to your specific dimensions.
Umraniye District: In the Asian part of Istanbul, Modoko is its equivalent of Masco, also offering ready-made furniture sets.
Online stores
Home goods are often ordered from Trendyol - an online marketplace offering products from Turkish and European brands at discounted prices. Delivery usually takes 3-4 days, and the only challenge might be the Turkish interface, but it can be easily overcome with a browser translator.
Perfume and cosmetics
In Turkey, there are many local brands of perfumes and cosmetics, including the popular Eyup Sabri Tuncer, which offers fragrant sprays, body and hair cosmetics, children's products, and much more. You can find stores of this brand throughout Istanbul, often located in market areas.
The Şişli district: In Şişli, there is the Perfume Atelier boutique, which features exclusive fragrances, perfume, candles, diffusers, and hair and body care products. Here, you can try the products right in the store and then wash them off using an antique bronze sink located in the center of the hall. In addition to local brands, Şişli also has flagship boutiques of foreign cosmetics, such as the British brand Jo Malone.
Shopping centers, malls, and outlets in Istanbul
Kanyon Mall
Location: Şişli district
Description: Kanyon Mall is considered the greenest shopping center in Istanbul and features architecture reminiscent of a canyon. It showcases premium brands such as Agent Provocateur, Massimo Dutti, and Tommy Hilfiger, as well as mass-market brands including New Balance, Crocs, Mango, and others. Kanyon Mall also houses the premium grocery supermarket Macrocenter. The parking lot accommodates 2,300 cars, and the center is open daily from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM.
Istinye Park
Location: Sarıyer district
Description: Istinye Park includes two large areas with different price segments, ranging from mid-range to luxury goods. It is often frequented by politicians, celebrities, and entrepreneurs. In the mall, you can find brands like Zara and Mango in the mass-market segment, as well as MAC and Sephora in the premium segment, and Dior and Prada in the luxury class. Inside the mall, there is a famous restaurant, Rainforest Cafe, with an international menu and an interior that mimics a tropical forest. The parking lot accommodates 3,600 cars, and the mall operates daily from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM.
Marmara Forum
Location: Zeytinburnu district
Description: Marmara Forum is designed in the shape of a ship and is illuminated in the evening. It features clothing and footwear stores, jewelry, cosmetics, and gadgets across various price ranges. You will find mass-market brands like Bershka, H&M, and LC Waikiki, as well as premium brands including Swarovski and Swatch. Marmara Forum also has open terraces with views of Istanbul and the Sea of Marmara, where you can relax after shopping. There is also a premium supermarket, Carrefour SA.
Zorlu Center
Location: Beşiktaş district
Description: Zorlu Center is located in a prestigious area and has direct access from the metro station. Here you will find luxury boutiques such as BVLGARI, Saint Laurent, and Tiffany & Co. Inside the shopping center, there is also a park with an artificial water feature.
Olivium Outlet Center
Location: Zeytinburnu district
Description: Olivium is the first outlet in Istanbul, which opened in 2000. It features around 140 stores where you can buy products from local brands at great prices.
Optimum Outlet
Location: the Asian side of Istanbul
Description: The outlet has about 100 stores that sell collections from past seasons at a discount. Sometimes you can find clothing and shoes from current collections in the outlet. There is an ice rink on the first floor of the outlet center.
Airport Outlet Center
Location: near Atatürk Airport in Istanbul
Description: This outlet is located near the airport and offers around 100 stores with affordable prices. The outlet also features an ice rink, an amphitheater, and entertainment for children.
Enjoy shopping in Istanbul!
Shopping and markets in Istanbul
image by Oleksandr Ryzhkov
Here is information about some famous markets and shops in Istanbul:
Grand Bazaar (Kapalıçarşı):
Location: Beyazit Square, Sultanahmet district
Description: The Grand Bazaar is the largest market in Istanbul, existing for over seven centuries. Here you can find a variety of goods, including spices, clothing, jewelry, leather products, Turkish carpets, and souvenirs. However, prices can be higher due to its popularity among tourists. The market operates daily during the winter season from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, except for major holidays.
Egyptian Bazaar (Mısır Çarşısı):
Location: Eminönü district, old part of the city
Description: The Egyptian Bazaar is known as the spice market. Here you can find a variety of spices, sweets, dried fruits, tea, and coffee. The vendors often speak Russian and offer tastings of their products. In addition to spices, antiques and costume jewelry are also sold here. The market operates on a varying schedule depending on the day of the week.
European passenger:
Location: Beyoğlu district
Description: The European Passage offers jewelry, home textiles, carpets, antiques, and tobacco. The market is designed in the style of the French Passage Choiseul with marble and gilded finishes. Open 24/7.
Children's stores in Istanbul:
Istanbul has a wide selection of children's brands. Some of them include LC Waikiki, E-bebek, Joker baby, Mothercare, and Soobe. These stores offer clothing and products for children of various ages.
Forum Istanbul Shopping Mall
Location: Bayrampaşa district
Description: Forum Istanbul is a shopping center with many children's stores where you can find products for kids and the whole family. It also features the Turkuazoo aquarium and the FunLab entertainment center. You can rent a stroller at this center.
These places offer a variety of shopping and leisure opportunities in Istanbul.
Shopping Festival or Istanbul Shopping Festival
Image by tawatchai07
Since 2011, Istanbul has hosted a shopping festival every year at the end of spring or the beginning of summer. This large-scale event lasts from two weeks to 40 days and attracts many shoppers. During this time, the city comes alive not only because of the big discounts in stores but also due to a variety of entertainment activities.
During the Istanbul Shopping Festival, Turkish Airlines may increase the baggage allowance for the basic fare. In 2022, one tourist could take up to 40 kg of luggage with them.
During the festival, various benefits are offered to shoppers, including extended shopping center hours until 11:00 PM, with larger shopping complexes potentially staying open until 2:00 AM. Discounts in participating stores range from 10% to 70%, and various promotions are held, such as discount coupons and "buy one, get one free" offers.
Discounts on products usually increase towards the end of the festival, and the closing of the event is accompanied by musical and light shows. However, it's worth noting that as the sales come to a close, the variety of products may be less diverse.
Discount season in Istanbul
In Istanbul, the sales season occurs twice a year: from July to September and from mid-January to early March. Not all stores and vendors stick to this exact schedule, which means that tourists have the opportunity to find discounts almost any time of the year. Some brands may also have their own sales schedule.
Shopping tours in Istanbul
Istanbul has a huge number of shopping malls, stores, and markets, and organizing shopping tours on your own can be quite challenging. Major tour operators offer special packages that include flights, accommodation, meals, entrance tickets, and transfers. They also take care of the itineraries, including visits to stores and centers where discounts are available during the tour. The most popular time for such tours is the pre-New Year period.
Tax Free in Istanbul
Tourists who are not tax residents of Turkey have the right to reclaim the value-added tax on their purchases. To do this, it is necessary to obtain special Tax Free Shopping (Global Refund Cheque) receipts at the time of purchase. Don't forget to inform the seller or cashier of your desire to receive these receipts. You will need your foreign passport for the process. It is important to note that when making a purchase, the tourist is issued two copies of the receipt with the store's stamps.
You can receive a tax refund within 90 days from the date of purchase with a Tax Free Shopping receipt.
In Turkey, the tax rate varies for different categories of goods. For example, the tax is 18% on accessories, watches, glasses, electronics, cosmetics, tableware, and household items, while it is 8% for textiles, clothing, leather and fur, carpets, shoes and bags, optics, and books. The purchase amount for tax refund must be over 118 Turkish lira for the first category of goods and over 108 Turkish lira for the second category of goods.
You can process Tax Free in Istanbul at the following places:
New airport (open 24/7, daily);
Sabiha Gökçen Airport (daily from 07:00 to 23:00);
International Sea Port of Karakoy (from 09:00 to 17:00 daily, with a break from 12:00 to 13:00).
To get a tax refund, follow these steps:
Please fill out the approval application in English in block letters without any mistakes at the Tax Refund counter.
Show the purchased goods to the staff at the counter for customs approval. The items can only be placed in the luggage after being checked by the staff.
Obtain a signature from the customs authorities (the staff may require the boarding pass).
Please present all documents at the Tax Free office (application for approval, passport, receipts for the goods).
Inform the office employee in which currency you would like to receive the refund (lira, dollars, or euros). It is not recommended to receive the transfer to Visa or Mastercard cards issued in Russia.
Where is it more profitable to exchange rubles for lira in Istanbul?
Despite the fact that some stores in Turkey accept dollars, it's better to have Turkish lira for shopping at markets and stores. Often, merchants who accept dollars round the amount in their favor and do not give change. If you pay in Turkish lira, you will lose less on conversion if the currency exchange is done at the market rate.
You can exchange money at any exchange offices (döviz) on the streets of Istanbul. The worst exchange rate for converting rubles to lira is usually offered at the airport. It's better to exchange a small amount of money for Turkish lira for initial expenses, and then find an exchange office with a better rate in the Laleli and Grand Bazaar markets, as well as in the Sultanahmet and Taksim areas, including Istiklal Street.
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