Germany Shopping Guide

German chain general merchandise companies are famous for Kaufhof, Karstadt, clothing store Peek Cloppenburg (PC), etc. Souvenirs Germany’s famous brand products have received unanimous praise for their quality, practicality and durability, and Germany’s major cities are also the concentration of famous brands from all over the world. Stainless steel knives Solingen, on the outskirts of Cologne, is a famous knife production area. Knives made of high-quality steel are durable and sharp, and are highly regarded. Stainless steel brand knives also include: WMF, Zwillinge. Ceramic utensils Meissen can be said to be synonymous with European high-end porcelain, and has always been a kiln area for the palace to burn ceramics. A unique ceramic genre with its own style, among which famous brands include Nymphen-burg and Ludwigsburg in Munich, KPM in Berlin, Hochst in Frankfurt, and the most popular Hutschenreuther, VilleroyBoch and Rosenthal. Leather goods series The durable German leather goods series is highly respected by all walks of life. The quality of various styles such as coin bags, wallets, handbags, travel bags, etc. is guaranteed to a certain extent. Famous brands such as Aigner, GoldPfeil, MCM and Bree, etc. Fashion Escada is a fashion brand that VIPs from all over the world like to wear when attending luxury banquets; JilSander is a practical and fashionable designer brand; leather goods series and fashion brand Aigner, etc., are all excellent fashion collections in Germany. Men’s clothing is of course HugoBoss. And German fur fashion is affordable and not to be missed. Other simple and easy-to-write Pelikan and MontBlanc ink pens, Lamy’s ballpoint pens, and Leica cameras are well-known overseas brands. Handicraft ceramics made of girls, Elt’s handicrafts, etc. are very popular with the world. Steiff is famous overseas for its rag dolls. Wooden toys in Germany are also very famous. During the sale season (Ausverkauf), all German stores hold two sale sales every year, from the end of Christmas to February and from the end of June to July. The general store is open Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, the big downtown store may be open until 6:30 pm, and most downtown stores are open until 8:30 pm on Thursdays. On weekends, the general store is open from 9:00 to 13:00 and the big downtown store is open until 2:00. The first Saturday of each month extends the opening hours to 16:00 or 18:00. Bakery hours are mostly only open until 13:00, and stores in small cities or remote areas are closed on Wednesday afternoons. General restaurants are open from 11:00 to 15:00 and from 17:00 to 23:00 pm. ■ Shopping tax refund skills Non-European Union tourists who shop in Germany and the amount exceeds 25 euros (1 euro is about 9.7 yuan) enjoy a tax-free discount. 16% VAT is included in the price of items sold in the store. Within three months after shopping, tourists can apply for a tax refund with a tax refund form stamped with the departure customs seal. When the minimum amount of shopping is reached in the store with the “European Duty Free Shopping” logo, you can get a tax refund form, attach the original invoice of the purchase to the tax refund form, and present the goods, invoices and tax refund forms when leaving the customs of the European Union country. After inspection and stamping, tourists can collect cash at the nearby tax refund counter, or directly transfer the tax to the designated credit card or bank account.