A few days ago, while researching for a post I did, I noticed the difference between the price of a product on an online shop in Europe, and the price of the same product on the same online shop in the US. And this difference is very obvious, putting European consumers at a disadvantage compared to those living in the US.
Given the facts that the currency today is: 1.00 USD = (approximately) 0.704 EUR (Source), a pair of shoes that costs 640$ in the US, should cost (app.) 450.60€ in Europe. Of course, no one sells something at exactly the same price that should have cost if we had bought it in the US, which is reasonable enough. Maybe, the seller would raise that price to cost 50-100€ more than in the US, leaving the price somewhere between 500 and 550€. Well, think again!
Pictures taken from Net-a-porter Europe, and Net-a-porter US
Click to enlarge
Taking for example, net-a-porter, an online shop, which sells designer’s products internationally, the price difference, is way bigger. For the few of you who don’t know it, Net-a-porter is an online, London, United Kingdom-based luxury clothing and accessories retailer. The website was launched in 2000 and now stocks over 300 international brands. It ships to 170 countries and offers same day delivery in London and Manhattan (Source).
The only reason I’m referring to net-a-porter, is because, it’s a well-known online store, and one of the few (if not the only one) which ships luxury designer’s products, in Europe, and more specific in Greece. So it’s my only source when it comes to buying some of these brands.
You can easily see the price difference in the photo above, but let’s take for example Brian Atwood’s Dante pumps. If I was living in the US, I could buy this pair for 640$ which is (app.) 450.60€, as I said before, given the currency. But, as I live in Greece, I have to buy this pair from the European site, which sells these shoes for 660€. That’s 209.40€ (or app. 297.6 USD if you prefer) more than the US’s site price. Not only, it converts 1USD to 1EURO but it adds, even more Euros to the price. So, I’m wondering, why is this happening? I know that there are also some taxes from countries outside the European zone to bring the products in Europe. But after all, net-a-porter is a London-based retailer which sells the same products in Europe and the US. Does shipping from US to Europe cost that much these days?
I love Brian Atwood’s shoes, but I’m not willing to pay 157€-270€ more to buy his, in other ways affordable, shoes. I’m seriously thinking of putting some money aside so I could travel to US and buy some of his beautiful shoes to bring back home (which will cost me less, plus I’d have a chance to go on vacation).
So, I’m leaving you with some food for thought, while being at risk of turning this into a shoe blog! 🙂 Sorry for all the mumbling but any shoe-lover can understand me (hopefully)! Don’t forget to leave your comments.
Prices were taken from net-a-porter US and NAP EU.
Price conversion was done by me, through xe.com
Please excuse any mistakes I may have done.
With currency changing constantly it’s very difficult to keep up.
All numbers are rounded up, so the prices are approximate.
P.S.: This post wouldn’t have been published if it wasn’t for my lovely bf who helped me figure out what was preventing me from posting it two days ago (when it was originally “scheduled” to be published). Thanks hun, it’s nice having someone correcting your mistakes, I really appreciate your help! 🙂
exeis polu dikio! isws einai 8ema forologias eite 8ema eisagwgwn! h apla eimaste 8umata!
S’euxaristw! K egw ta idia skeftika, alla tosi forologia pia? Milame gia megales diafores timwn…Thelw na pistevw oti einai auto k oxi oti eimaste gia mia akoma fora thimata!
Mporeis episis na dokimaseis to http://www.theoutnet.com pou einai to outlet tou net-a-porter…Egw pantws nomizw oti ektos apo themata forologias, synallagmatos ktl oi times kathorizontai kai sxetika me to an mporei na tis ‘sikwsei’ i agora px to Zara einai pio akribo stin Agglia apo oti stin Ellada (ki as einai pio konta stin Ispania), oles oi markets einai pio akribes stin Iapwnia, o Atwood den einai toso gnwstos stin Ameriki oso stin Eyrwpi kai diafora alla parageigmata…
To gnwrizw to outnet, to exw episkeftei polles fores, alla sinithws ta sxedia pou fthanoune ekei den einai poli kala, kai sinithws einai noumera pou den kataferan na poulithoun.
Oi diafores timwn pou parousiasa, einai terasties, k to paradeigma me ton Brian Atwood, einai apla endeiktiko giati apla etixe na psaxnw gia dika tou sxedia. O Atwood isa isa einai para poli gnwstos sin Ameriki, oles oi celebrities forane Atwood akoma k sto kokkino xali.
Sigoura exei sxesi i forologia kai to sinallagma alla milame gia terasties diafores. Kai to ethesa etsi mias k to NAP einai based stin Agglia, oxi stin Ameriki, ki o Atwood einai episis Eurwpaios sxediastis.
Auto me to Zara pou mou eipes den to gnwriza, an kai kserw oti auto simvainei me polles etaireies…Gia paradeigma stin Ellada, ta proionta tou LIDL kai toy IKEA exoun poli ipsiloteres times, ap’ti Germania kai ti Soudia antistoixa. Kai oxi mono, einai sxedon akrivotera ap’oti se oles tis alles xwres.