BA fashion on the cheap

In these times of a lower US dollar and with local inflation in Argentina still at around 20%, more and more tourists discover that Buenos Aires is no longer the affordable shopping paradise that it once was. Of course all the big brands are still there but normally at higher prices than in the States and even locally or Mercosur produced clothing is getting ever more expensive in downtown Buenos Aires.

Luckily Argentina still allows you to cut out the middle man on most goods. For produce you can get head to the Mercado Central just outside of town where all the groceries buy their products and for brand clothing there is of course the outlet district that I wrote about in an earlier post

Av. Avellaneda wholesale clothing district

However there is also a place in the city where all local boutiques and even street vendors go to buy their merchandise and that's Avenida Avellaneda. Between the blocks of about 3000 and 3500 and it's direct side streets in the neighborhood of Floresta. Literally 100's of shops stuffed full of clothes from bottom to ceiling line these streets, all competing for the wholesalers attention. Clothes here sell from 30 to 60% of their final sale prices in downtown Microcentro and the bazaar like neighbourhood of Once and there is something for every taste from jeans to evening wear.

upscale boutiques buy inventory here as well

Of course there are some catches to all this shopping goodness. First of all: get there early! As these stores cater to other vendors who have to be in their shops during regular business hours, most open around 7 am and even at 9am you can sometimes find long lines in front of the most popular ones.

Waiting in line for the best deals or newest styles

The second catch is that it's officially a wholesale location and quite some stores have signs in the windows that they will only sell to end consumers (as in you) on Saturdays. End consumers are referred to as "minorista" and business customers who buy for their own stores as "mayorista". On the other hand, buying 3 items in one store (not necessarily of the same model, color or size) normally makes you a mayorista in these stores, so you might as well avoid the Saturday crowds and get three new jeans for the price of one pair downtown on any weekday. Enjoy your shopping!