Foreign tourists flocking to the US.

Not OT here because, hey, Europeans travel to the US. So there.

If you think your commute to the mall this Friday is far, try over
4,000
miles.

Marie-Pierre Lalande, an Air France flight attendant and mother of
three,
will board a plane to Atlanta from Paris and arrive on Thursday just in
time for one of America's busiest shopping days. Seems like quite a
journey, but to some foreigners - it's a bargain.

"These very American brands, in France they cost a fortune," Lalande

said.

Lalande is one of a growing number of foreign tourists heading to
the
States to jump on the Black Friday bandwagon.

Wally Brewster, a spokesman for General Growth Properties Inc.,
which
operates over 200 malls across the country, said more tourists are
willing
to travel longer distances for items unavailable abroad.

"Tourists are finding great value over here since we have items that

they
cannot get, and it's way more expensive to import them over there,"
Brewster said.

Visitors usually flock to metro areas, like Chicago, Los Angeles and

New York, and also major border cities, like San Antonio, which draws
Mexican
nationals to its North Star Mall.

Brewster said Japanese jet-setters come to Honolulu's Ala Moana
shopping
center for high-end fashion retailers like Dior, Fendi, Louis Vuitton
and
Hermes.

In Miami, tourists are headed to Miami-based Dolphin Mall from Latin
America, Mexico, Brazil and the Caribbean.

"They want to see the madness of people going to the mall at 5 a.m.
to go
shopping because that usually doesn't happen in any other country,"
said
Lucia Plazis, a marketing specialist for Taubman Centers' Dolphin Mall.

Responding to the growing trend, Chelsea Property Group, a unit of
mall
developer Simon Property Group, sent a team abroad this year just to
market Black Friday to tour operators.

Lalande, who learned about Black Friday from her brother who lives
stateside, said she plans to target apparel retailers Polo Ralph Lauren
and Timberland, and will also purchase an Eastpak schoolbag for her
12-year-old daughter, Marie.

"For teenagers going to school, it's either that or death."

"PeterL" wrote:

Not OT here because, hey, Europeans travel to the US. So there.

Yes, OT here.

--
PB
The return address has been MUNGED
My travel writing: http://www.iol.ie/~draoi/

On 22 Nov 2006 16:26:59 -0800, "PeterL" wrote:

snip
Marie-Pierre Lalande, an Air France flight attendant and mother of
three,
will board a plane to Atlanta from Paris and arrive on Thursday just in
time for one of America's busiest shopping days. Seems like quite a
journey, but to some foreigners - it's a bargain.

"These very American brands, in France they cost a fortune," Lalande

said.

WTF?

I thought the only premise for accepting the reality of our weak
American dollar was the subsequent affordability of American goods
overseas. This was supposed to lead to expansion for American
manufacturers.

If any economists could fill me in on why American goods are costly in
Europe despite the weak dollar, I'd love to hear it.

- TR

VainGlorious wrote:
On 22 Nov 2006 16:26:59 -0800, "PeterL" wrote:

snip
Marie-Pierre Lalande, an Air France flight attendant and mother of
three,
will board a plane to Atlanta from Paris and arrive on Thursday just in
time for one of America's busiest shopping days. Seems like quite a
journey, but to some foreigners - it's a bargain.

"These very American brands, in France they cost a fortune," Lalande

said.

WTF?

I thought the only premise for accepting the reality of our weak
American dollar was the subsequent affordability of American goods
overseas. This was supposed to lead to expansion for American
manufacturers.

If any economists could fill me in on why American goods are costly in
Europe despite the weak dollar, I'd love to hear it.

Import taxes.


- TR

Not OT....
travel in Europe, not to the US !!!
Useless troll

"PeterL" a écrit dans le message de news:
...
Not OT here because, hey, Europeans travel to the US. So there.

If you think your commute to the mall this Friday is far, try over
4,000
miles.

Marie-Pierre Lalande, an Air France flight attendant and mother of
three,
will board a plane to Atlanta from Paris and arrive on Thursday just in
time for one of America's busiest shopping days. Seems like quite a
journey, but to some foreigners - it's a bargain.

"These very American brands, in France they cost a fortune," Lalande

said.

Lalande is one of a growing number of foreign tourists heading to
the
States to jump on the Black Friday bandwagon.

Wally Brewster, a spokesman for General Growth Properties Inc.,
which
operates over 200 malls across the country, said more tourists are
willing
to travel longer distances for items unavailable abroad.

"Tourists are finding great value over here since we have items that

they
cannot get, and it's way more expensive to import them over there,"
Brewster said.

Visitors usually flock to metro areas, like Chicago, Los Angeles and

New York, and also major border cities, like San Antonio, which draws
Mexican
nationals to its North Star Mall.

Brewster said Japanese jet-setters come to Honolulu's Ala Moana
shopping
center for high-end fashion retailers like Dior, Fendi, Louis Vuitton
and
Hermes.

In Miami, tourists are headed to Miami-based Dolphin Mall from Latin
America, Mexico, Brazil and the Caribbean.

"They want to see the madness of people going to the mall at 5 a.m.
to go
shopping because that usually doesn't happen in any other country,"
said
Lucia Plazis, a marketing specialist for Taubman Centers' Dolphin Mall.

Responding to the growing trend, Chelsea Property Group, a unit of
mall
developer Simon Property Group, sent a team abroad this year just to
market Black Friday to tour operators.

Lalande, who learned about Black Friday from her brother who lives
stateside, said she plans to target apparel retailers Polo Ralph Lauren
and Timberland, and will also purchase an Eastpak schoolbag for her
12-year-old daughter, Marie.

"For teenagers going to school, it's either that or death."

On 22 Nov 2006 21:57:46 -0800, "PeterL" wrote:


VainGlorious wrote:
On 22 Nov 2006 16:26:59 -0800, "PeterL" wrote:

snip
Marie-Pierre Lalande, an Air France flight attendant and mother of
three,
will board a plane to Atlanta from Paris and arrive on Thursday just in
time for one of America's busiest shopping days. Seems like quite a
journey, but to some foreigners - it's a bargain.

"These very American brands, in France they cost a fortune," Lalande

said.

WTF?

I thought the only premise for accepting the reality of our weak
American dollar was the subsequent affordability of American goods
overseas. This was supposed to lead to expansion for American
manufacturers.

If any economists could fill me in on why American goods are costly in
Europe despite the weak dollar, I'd love to hear it.

Import taxes.

And if anyone thinks it's possible to fly to America to save some
money, they have rocks in their head. Of course Marie-Pierre Lalande
probably had a free flight which would have helped...
--
---
DFM - http://www.deepfriedmars.com
---
--

PeterL ha escrito:



If any economists could fill me in on why American goods are costly in
Europe despite the weak dollar, I'd love to hear it.

Import taxes.


Not necessarily, as they tend to be rather low nowadays. Just adding in
transport and the profit of a few middlemen with substantial margins
explain the gap.

That said, there are a few things one can really save a lot when
travelling to the US, like musical instruments (provided you can get
them back in shape, without paying too much excess baggage and don't
get caught by customs).

J.

"PeterL" wrote in message
ups.com...

VainGlorious wrote:
If any economists could fill me in on why American goods are costly in
Europe despite the weak dollar, I'd love to hear it.

Import taxes.

American companies charging what the market will stand. Look at a "For
Dummies" book with international prices printed on the cover. I've got one
marked at $24.99 or £23.99. "Exchange Rates for Dummies"???

Alan Harrison

mini Mini wrote:

Dave Frightens Me wrote in
:
[]
And if anyone thinks it's possible to fly to America to save some
money, they have rocks in their head. Of course Marie-Pierre Lalande
probably had a free flight which would have helped...

Exactly what I thought!
She's not really a tourist, is she? And this certainly not new for FAs.
In 1993 on a flight from London, I was sitting next to a FA who was
flying to NYC for Xmas shopping, list of requested items a mile long.

Actually, I know a lot of people who have flown to the US just for
shopping. Whether they would save money on the whole trip I don't know,
but they were certainly enticed to go by the savings. You can fly to the
east coast of the US for £250. You can certainly save more than that,
providing you don't get hit by customs when you return. (I don't know
anyone who ever has.) I would have saved about that much if I had bought
my macbook in the US, come to think about it...

--
David Horne- http://www.davidhorne.net
usenet (at) davidhorne (dot) co (dot) uk
http://www.davidhorne.net/pictures.html http://soundjunction.org

On Thu, 23 Nov 2006 13:21:00 +0000,
(David Horne, _the_ chancellor of
the royal duchy of city south and deansgate) wrote:
I would have saved about that much if I had bought
my macbook in the US, come to think about it...

Doesn't Apple only have national service centers though, so when they
do a battery recall, it's gonna be another US trip?

Jim.