Shopping in Buenos Aires is an adventure nearly equivalent to climbing a Patagonia peak. You need resources, a good map and if possible, a guide. The benefits of a personal shopper are various—they can find you what you want and fast, they can ward off the very pesky sales clerks who pour on the pressure and steer you to unique, authentic, high quality items.

I really wanted to buy a leather jacket but with my extra long Gumby arms and tall height, it was difficult to find a jacket that fit right. Many stores were helpful but I often felt pressured to buy something that I knew it my heart didn’t quite fit. After a tour of several stores I gave up, evidence that I am not a real shopaholic. Yet my dream of the perfect, silky soft jacket did not die, and I was running out of time. A friend suggested I go with her friend, a woman who gets paid to shop for a living thanks to her job as a wardrobe designer for Argentine commercials and films.

The difference was amazing. We visited excellent boutiques I’d never have found and my personal guide ran interference between myself and the clerks. She examined the quality and turned down several choices that I’d considered when she pointed out stitching that would likely fail. In the end, I saved myself a lot of time and a few headaches by shopping with a guide and besides, it was a lot more fun! I felt like I was in on the local scene and was confident that I got a better bargain than I would have otherwise.

Prices vary for a shopping guide and a personal shopper. A shopping guide accompanies you to shopping locations and helps you find and make purchases, a personal shopper finds one of a kind items for you. A personal shopper may charge from $50-100US an hour to find unique, designer items or hard to find specialties. A shopping guide may charge anywhere from $50-100 for a shopping expedition of up to two to three or even four hours.

If you are interested in going on a once in a lifetime shopping expedition, please email us at Reservations@argentinastravel.com to find out who we do our shopping with!

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