New York: luxury shopping for less

[ukhudshanskiy]

The classic Tiffany engagement ring, for instance, costs $8,500 (£5,315) here. That's £1,000 less than in London, where that same ring – as I know for sure, having recently been shopping with a friend who's about to propose to a long-distance girlfriend – is £6,300. The salesman is coy about providing exact London/New York comparisons, so, back at the hotel, pausing only to text my friend with the vital news, I go online to the Tiffany US and British websites. Amazing. The "Tiffany 1837" 18-carat cuff, £4,175 in London, turns out to cost $5,500 (£3,437) in New York. Jean Schlumberger platinum and diamond earrings, £2,050 in London, are $2,700 (£1,685) in New York; a 16-stone diamond and platinum ring that costs £5,500 in London is $7,250 (£4,531) in New York.
New York is still the world's shopping HQ. None of its rivals offer anywhere near as comprehensive a range of delectable things at unbeatable prices.