‘I’m a holiday shopper but you won’t find any fridge magnets in my suitcase’
Shopping has always been my favourite thing to do on holiday. I’d much rather browse the local boutiques or market than stand in a line to see a tourist attraction with hoards of people.
But I don’t buy the usual souvenirs overseas. I would not be caught dead with a fridge full of magnets for example.
Sarah Swain loves to shop on holiday. Sarah Swain
Anything emblazoned with the name of a place is a hard no for me (though I did buy a Tokyo Disneyland T-shirt as a one-off).
I prefer to buy art from locals painting in the street, vintage and second-hand clothes, and stuff for my house (like the Fortum and Mason hamper from Oxfam I once wedged in the overhead locker).
Food is a big pull when on holiday as well, and I like to cart some of that back to Australia too.
I was shopping the snacks at Trader Joe’s in America before everyone had the tote bags, and I stumbled into Erewhon in LA before it was on TikTok.
One unusual item I pack my case with are local versions of granola. The packet I snapped up at Jeremy Clarkson’s Diddly Squat Farm shop in the UK was the best.
Cosmetics are also a must-have, from French pharmacies or giant Japanese malls.
And it seems many of my travel-loving colleagues also like to shop for unusual suitcase fillers.
A vintage coach bag unearthed in a Nashville thrift shop is Mikaela’s best souvenir.
Sarah says she would not be caught dead with a fridge full of magnets. iStock
“It’s useful and so cute and I actually use it. Plus it still reminds me of my trip without screaming tacky souvenir,” she said.
Kahla is another one who goes for practical overseas buys, saying: “Cooking ingredients are a great small souvenir if you like to cook.”
Lisa also likes to support artists and avoid mass-produced tat.
“I am a ceramics lover, so I always try to buy something little that has been made by a local. I have built up quite the collection now, from stunning Japanese sake cups, to the coolest blown-glass vessel from Copenhagen,” she said.
However, when it comes to gaudy buys, Maddie just embraces it.
“I usually buy a tacky magnet in every country I visit,” she says.
Sarah loves to shop in places like Japan on holiday. Sarah Swain
Amy also loves a themed souvenir.
“Everywhere we go we get a key ring for my daughter, it takes up minimal space in the suitcase, but also gives a really nice story to where she’s been,” she said.
Our Travel Editor Kristine is also a sucker for a key ring, having collected them from every holiday since she was younger.
“I have tubs of key rings in my study,” she said. “The most expensive one I ever bought cost around $80. But I love looking back at them and remembering all the amazing places I’ve been able to visit. And they don’t take up a huge amount of space.”
Shopping for fashion is popular when on holiday. iStock
While the cost-of-living has hit my shopping habits, I try and avoid any remorse by snapping up anything I’ve spotted... within reason.
However, many holidaymakers have shopping regret, according to new research claiming to reveal souvenirs travellers regret leaving behind.
AllClear Travel Insurance reckons clothes and jewellery tops the list.
Italian leather handbags from Florence, handmade jewellery from Hawaii cashmere shawls from Edinburgh are the things folk wished they bought the most, according to comments on Reddit.
I have little sympathy.
However, as I get older, I am starting to embrace experiences over stuff.
Thai boxing matches, sumo wrestling in Japan, and hot air balloon rides over Cappadocia are the things holidaymakers wished they had done, the research found.
I’m determined not to join them, so maybe I’ll step away from the shops for a while.
