Heading to Spain on holiday this summer? Congrats. You’re probably already feeling a little too smug about all that Sangria andholiday sexyou’re going to have. But here’s another reason to celebrate: turns out you can save a shit load by shopping in Zara Barcelona than Zara on your bog-standard British high street.
We always knew that our favourite Hispanic fashion export would probs work out a bit cheaper in its native country, but the genius Moneysaving expert Martin Lewis, whom you might remember from uni mornings whiled away watching This Morning, has worked out that in some extreme cases it could actually be cheaper to fly all the way to Spain to pick up your Zara items of desire than to hit up your local branch. (And given that Easyjet and Ryanair are currently advertising flights for around £30, it doesn’t actually seem like such a bad idea.)
Lewis’ sums show that Zara goodies work out to be about 39 per cent cheaper in Spain than in the UK. Even when the euros number is the same number as the pounds number, once converted that still works out at 20 per cent cheaper.
So get your calculator out and work out your potential savings by going to the Zara website and selecting the Spanish rather than UK e-commerce site. They have an English language option if your Español isn’t quite up to scratch.
And if even that is too much hassle for you when you’ve got a flight to book/sunblock still to buy, we’ve done the maths for you and figured out the best Zara buys to pick up in España – which means you’re getting a bargain.
Best bits from Zara: Silver platforms £59.99 UK/€49.95 – you save £20; Pretty lingerie skirt £35.99/€29.95 – you save £12; Fringed jacket £129/€99.95 – you save £25.50; Pretty layered dress £35.99/€29.95 – you save £12; Clashy clashy leather bag £89.99/€79.95 – you save £26; Jazzy Sequin Jacket £79.99/€69.95 – you save £24
There are similar savings at that other Spanish stalwart Mango too, though you’ll be dependent on Google translate for navigating that site. And if the thought of sacrificing precious sunbathing time doesn’t appeal, then just order everything you want from the websites on your first day and get them delivered to your hotel/villa.
The best bits from Mango: Preppy check shirt£34.99/€29.99 – you save £11; A great dress for work £34.99/€29.99 – you save £11; Excellent winter shoes forward planning £59.99/€49.99 – you save £20
Mind you, while you’re Spain-side do make a special trip to Stradivarius, which has been labelled the Topshop of Spain. They’ve recently launched in the UK, with a store coming in September, so you’ll look impressively ahead of the game if you get some stuff over the summer. We’re loving these cute dungarees and swooshy trousers which you’ll get for £15 if you buy them en España.
Just make sure you leave room in your suitcase...
Follow Bethan on Twitter @bethanholt
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.