Norway Information
Joined: 21 Oct 2006
Posts: 17
Home Country: norway
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 Posted: Tue Oct 31, 2006 2:14 am Post subject: SHOPPING IN NORWAY (OSLO & BERGEN) |
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SHOPPING IN NORWAY (OSLO & BERGEN)
GENERAL
Most towns and resorts have a shop where typical Norwegian handicrafts are on sale. Silversmiths and potteries are numerous and worth visiting. Traditional items include furs, printed textiles, woven articles, knitwear, woodcarving, silver, enamel, pewter, glass and porcelain. Tax-free cheques can be obtained from any of the 3000 shops carrying the sticker ‘Tax free for tourists’. These shops save visitors 11 to 18 per cent of the price paid by residents. VAT refunds are paid in cash at airports, ferries, cruise ships and border crossings.
Currency Information:
Currency
Norwegian Krone (NOK) = 100 øre. Notes are in denominations of NOK1000, 500, 200, 100 and 50. Coins are in denominations of NOK20, 10, 5 and 1, and 50 øre.
Currency exchange
Eurocheque cards allow encashment of personal cheques. ATMs are widely available.
Credit & debit cards
All major credit and debit cards are widely accepted. Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other services which may be available.
SHOPPING IN OSLO
Some bargains can be found in the less specialized shops, particularly for general goods such as clothing. Star buys include knitted knitwear, pewter, ceramics and glassware, traditional knitwear and handmade reindeer skin boots.
The main shopping districts are in Frogner, which is the place for antiques, art galleries and food shops. Bogstadveien (website: www.bogstadveien.no) which runs between the Royal Palace and Karl Johans gate in the center, boasts shops, market stalls and department stores of every conceivable description.
Aker Brygge, across the water from the Tourist Office at Vestbanen, is Olso’s first big shopping centre (website: www.akerbrygge.no). The biggest shopping mall is Oslo City (website: www.oslocity.no), on Stenersgata, near Oslo S station, while Paleet, Karl Johans gate 39-41, with its marble-lined atrium, is the most ostentatious. Good shops for crafts are Husfliden, Lille Grensen 7 (website: www.husfliden.no/oslo), with its huge selection of handmade goods, including knitwear, pewter, ceramics and national costume, or Norway Designs, Stortingsgate 28 (website: www.norwaydesigns.no), which has the largest selection of work from Norwegian folk artists. The Oslo Sweater Shop, SAS Hotel at Tullins gate 5, has one of the best selections of sweaters in the city, while William Schmidt, Karl Johans Gate 41, has been specializing in sweaters and souvenirs since 1853.
There is an open-air market, Stortorvet, in the square of the same name, every day between 1000-1600, selling general goods, such as clothing, souvenirs and flowers, and an indoor market offering antiques, handcrafts, jewelry and the like in Basarhallene, close to the cathedral.
Most shops are open 0900-1700, Monday-Wednesday and Friday. Thursday is late opening, until 1900, while early closing is generally at 1500 on Saturday. Shopping centers are open until 2000 on weekdays and 1800 on Saturday. Tax-free shopping is available at some 3,000 shops, although a minimum purchase of NOK310 is necessary to qualify. Partial VAT refunds can be claimed at the airport on departure. In Norway, the VAT (locally known as MVA) stands at 24%. Further information can be obtained at the Global Refund website (www.globalrefund.no).
SHOPPING IN BERGEN
Bergen has long been a trading town and its shops range from the small and specialized to large department stores. Visitors should not expect too many bargains, however, and many locals regularly travel by ferry to shop in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, because it is cheaper.
The pedestrianized streets of Gamle Strandgaten, Marken and Torgalmenningen have shops selling everything from trolls to antiques, handicrafts to Norwegian sweaters and ceramics to silver jewelry. Husfliden, in Vågsallmenningen, is one of the leading gift shops.
Normal shopping hours are weekdays 0900-1630 and Saturdays 0900-1500, although some shops stay open later (until around 1900) on Thursdays. During December, many shops also open on Sundays. Late-opening shopping centres include Bergen Storsenter, Kløverhuset and Galleriet, which are open weekdays until 2000 and Saturdays until 1800. At Galleriet, 70 shops and restaurants offer a wide choice of goods and menus at all price levels, while live music, entertainment and exhibitions are staged on the fifth floor.
Torget, where fish, fruit, vegetables, flowers, handicrafts and souvenirs are sold, is open Monday to Friday 0700-1600 and Saturday 0700-1500 (Thursday until 1900 in the summer). Kjøttbasaren, Bergen’s restored meat market, dating back to 1887, is the city’s epicurean centre, with various places to eat and nine delicatessens.
There is also a shopping complex at Vestkanten, next to the Vannkanten leisure centre, about 20 minutes by bus 9 or 10 to the west of Bergen city centre.
VAT, known as Merverdiavgift (MVA) in Norway, is currently charged at 24% and is included in all retail prices (a reduced rate applies to food items). Many shops in Bergen offer VAT refunds for overseas visitors, of up to 50%. To claim a refund, visitors need to collect a form from the shop at the time of purchase then submit this either at the tax refund office in the airport or at the bureau de change on the ferry. |
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