Shopping Advice in Brazil
For many visitors, shopping is one of the pleasures of their trip to Brazil. But for many visitors, especially newcomers, one question is what to buy and where. Some suggestions:

Clothes

Styles in Brazil, particularly in the more tropical parts of the country, differ from those in the Northern Hemisphere. (In São Paulo and other southern cities, where there are marked changes of seasons and it can be chilly or cold in the winter, styles may be more similar to those back home.) Remember, though, that seasons are reversed in Brazil, so when all you see at home are winter clothes, in Brazil you'll find summer wear, and vice-versa. This can sometimes be advantageous, especially if you can catch the big end-of-season sales. In any case, there's no shortage of places to shop for clothes; it seems there are stores and boutiques on every corner, as well as in the many shopping malls.

For big designer names in Rio, you'll want to check out the stores in Ipanema, especially in the area around r. Garcia d'Avila, and the São Conrado Fashion Mall. In São Paulo, you'll want to check out the shopping areas in the Jardins neighborhood and the Shopping Iguatemi on the west side on Av. Brig. Faria Lima.

More reasonably priced clothes can be found almost everywhere, but certainly at the big shopping malls like RioSul, Barra Shopping and Botafogo Praia, or Shopping Paulista and Patio Higienópolis in São Paulo. Among stores worth checking out, the Taco chain (something of a GAP lookalike) offers extremely reasonably priced jeans (beginning at R$29) and North American-styled sports wear. A good option for gifts for new Brazilian friends, or to stock up on T-shirts, shorts, and swimwear if you need such items. For higher-styled items, it's always worth looking into the Zara stores in RioSul or Barra Shopping. The Aviator shops have attractive shirts, and the Sandpiper shops also have appealing sportswear. Osklen is a pricier version; it might be considered Brazil's answer to Abercrombie & Fitch. Blue Man in RioSul features trendy swimwear. This is only the tip of the iceberg; there are many, many more clothing stores so you can enjoy yourself visiting as many as you can and trying everything on!

Brazilian clothing sizes roughly correspond to European ones, but don't buy anything with out trying it on to be sure it fits. The following clothing conversion chart can point you towards the sizes to look for, but there can be significant variations, and one manufacturer's sizes may not match the same size item made by another manufacturer.

Sport Shirts/T-shirts:

S = P
M = M
L = G
XL = GG

Dress Shirts

15= 38
15½ = 39
16 = 41
16½ = 42
17 = 43


Suits

38 = 48
40 = 50
42 = 52
44 = 54
46 = 56

Trousers

These pretty much follow the European system. To convert a waist size in inches into centimeters multiply by 2.54. Then divide that total by 2. That should give you the European/Brazilian trouser size. To convert a European/Brazilian trouser size into inches, multiply the size by 2, then divide the total by 2.54.

Shoes

Brazil has the world's largest shoe industry, with a huge export trade. You'll find shoe shops everywhere, including the shopping malls. For the recently fashionable Hawaiianas flip-flops, which are very inexpensive in Brazil, your best bet is stores like Lojas Americanas. For dressier shoes, one popular chain of stores is Mr. Cat, which features styles fashionable in North America.

Shoe sizes in Brazil are tricky. Brazilian men's shoe sizes are one number LOWER than their European equivalent (so add 1 to the Brazilian size to know the European size). These charts were copied from some Brazilian websites. As you can see, this is not an exact science!!! The Brazilian shoe size is shown first, followed by its U.S. equivalent:

39 = 7½
40 = 8
41.5 = 8½
42 = 9
42.5 = 9½
43 = 10
43.5 = 10½
44 = 11
44.5 = 11½

(I've bought size 11.5 athletic shoes for my BF, who wears a Brazilian size 44.)

Another chart I think may not be quite as accurate shows these equivalents:

38 = 7 - 7½
39 = 8
40 = 8½ - 9
41 = 9½
42 = 10 - 10½
43 = 11 - 11½
44 = 12
45 = 13

If you're buying athletic shoes, err on the side of getting a slightly larger size. Any difference can always be made up by wearing thicker socks! If you get something too small, there's no fixing it.

Jewelry

Brazil is one of the world's great producers of gemstones, particularly colored ones, so it's a good place to shop for unset stones or beautiful jewelry. Jewelry can be a good buy in Brazil, if you inform yourself beforehand and shop carefully. There are many dealers and jewelers, and very fine jewelry designers. If you're knowledgeable, you may want to shop around. For many visitors, though, it's hard to avoid the lures of H. Stern and Amsterdam-Sauer, Brazil's two largest jewelry empires. Both are reputable companies and have networks of stores abroad (especially H. Stern) where you can take anything bought in Brazil for repairs or other action if you later discover there's something wrong with the piece. In Rio, both companies have "branches" in many hotel lobbies, but in most cases they'll refer you to the the main headquarters stores in Ipanema (next door to each other) and offer you a free cab ride. At their headquarters, both companies have jewelry museums and tours allowing you to see craftsmen at work. These are free, and there's no obligation to buy anything, although it's hard to resist temptation! After the tour, you'll be ushered into the showrooms, where you'll be dazzled by beautiful pieces in diamonds, emeralds, topazes, aquamarines and a rainbow of other colored gems. The prices of gems and precious metals are set by the international market, so you won't find enormous bargains in that sense. Brazil's price advantage comes from the fact that labor costs are cheaper than in other countries, so the cost of cutting and setting stones and manufacturing jewelry are lower than abroad. Because of this, finished pieces can be considerably less expensive than in your home country. Of course, if you have something in mind before visiting Brazil, it's a good idea to price it at home so you can compare the cost of a similar piece in Brazil!

Music

Brazilian music is hard to resist. There are endless infectious styles and rhythms, including samba, choro and MPB ("musica popular brasileira"). A great way to bring home memories of Brazil is with CDs or DVDs of the music and artists you've heard in Brazil. For new and recent releases, it's usually impossible to find better prices than those at Lojas Americanas. For broader selections, there are music stores all over town, including the shopping malls. In Rio, large selections can be found at the music departments of the Saraiva Megastores, Livraria da Travessa, and FNAC. The mother lode of CDs and DVDs in Rio is found at Modern Sound, on R. Barata Ribeiro near the corner of R. Santa Clara. This is by far the largest and most comprehensive store in the city; if it exists they'll usually have it in stock. They also have an enormous selection of imports, which are expensive. Brazilian CDs are much more reasonable, with prices approximately the same as in other shops. The staff is helpful and knowledgeable, and the store is an institution in Rio. There's also a café with live music that's a pleasant place to relax during the afternoons. Most evenings there are free shows which are extremely popular -- the weekly programming is posted in the cafe and at the check-out desk at the entrance to the store. If you want to be assured of a table make advance reservations, because the place routinely fills up. If there's something you particularly want and none of the stores has it in stock, check with the customer service desk at a Saraiva Megastore (like the one in RioSul). If it's in print they can order it online for delivery at your hotel/apartment. You can pay for the item at the store, so you can avoid having to navigate through the store's website in Portuguese. Just check to be sure that your order can be delivered before your return home!

In São Paulo, the music department at FNAC is a best bet.

Books

You'll find good bookstores in most major Brazilian cities. If you read Portuguese, you'll be in heaven. However, the bigger stores also have sections of books in English and some other foreign languages, and they're the place to look for sumptuous "coffee table" books with gorgeous photography of Brazil (often in multi-lingual editions) that can be a great souvenir of your trip. They're also a place to look for phrase books and guide books (in English) if you've forgotten to bring yours from home. In Rio, Livraria da Travessa is one of the best, with large stores in Ipanema (on R. Visconde de Pirajá near R. Aníbal de Mendonça) and downtown on Av. Rio Branco near Av. Pres. Vargas. A huge new branch is planned for the new Shopping Leblon, currently under construction. Letras & Expressões is another good store, with its largest branch in Leblon near the far end of Av. Ataulfo de Paiva. Siciliano and Saraiva are national chains and there are Saraiva Megastores in RioSul and downtown on R. do Ouvidor. Siciliano has a large store in the Botafogo Praia Shopping. FNAC has a megastore at Barra Shopping. Most of these big stores also have music departments and cafés, as well as large magazine sections with many foreign titles available.

In São Paulo, in addition to the chains like Saraiva and Siciliano, which you'll find in the shopping malls, there is the enormous and comprehensive Livraria Cultura in the Conjunto Nacional shopping center on Av. Paulista (near the Consolação metro station). There are FNAC stores at Av. Paulista, 901 and in the west-side neighborhood of Pinheiros, at Praça Omaguá.

In other large Brazilian cities the big shopping malls are good bets to find "megastores" by the big chains like Saraiva, Siciliano and Nobel. FNAC has stores in Curitiba, Brasilia and Campinas.

Art

Throughout Brazil you'll find regular arts and craft fairs in major cities, usually on weekends. In Rio probably the best known is the "Hippie Fair," on Sundays at Praça General Osório in Ipanema. The largest takes over Belo Horizonte's main street, Av. Afonso Pena, every Saturday and Sunday. Your hotel or the local tourism office can tell you the places and times in other cities. For finer arts, lists of gallery exhibits appear in the arts and entertainment sections of the daily newspapers, and particularly in their Friday supplements with listings of all the arts and entertainment events for the upcoming week. For Rio and São Paulo you'll find similar listings in the local entertainment supplements that accompany the Veja news magazine, which is available at all newstands on Sunday.

Lovers of antiques and flea markets will also enjoy themselves. In Rio, there is a large antiques mall in the old shopping center on Siqueira Campos virtually across the street from the Atlântico Copacabana (and just next to the metro station entrance). The better stores are upstairs on the second floor. There are also many antique dealers and art galleries in the Cassino Atlântico shopping center on Av. Copacabana at the Ipanema end of the street. On weekends there is a large antiques flea market at Praça XV downtown, underneath the elevated roadway. There is also an indoor flea market on weekends at the Cassino Atlântico.

Similar events take place in other cities. Ask your hotel for information. A particularly well-known one is Porto Alegre's "Brique da Redenção" on Sundays along one side of the notoriously cruisy Parque Farroupilha downtown. Don't just concentrate on the merchandise on display; check out your fellow shoppers, too!

Malls

Shopping malls have become ubiquitous in Brazil. Virtually indistinguishable from their North American counterparts, they offer extensive shopping choices as well as numerous restaurants, food courts and cinemas. Besides their convenience, they're appealing as air-conditioned escapes on really hot days or as a "Plan B" option if the weather suddenly turns cloudy or rainy!

For visitors, the main centers in Rio are RioSul, Rio Plaza, Botafogo Praia Shopping, São Conrado Fashion Mall, Barra Shopping and the Rio Design Centers (in Leblon and Barra). RioSul is the largest and most convenient "in-town" mall, just through the tunnel between Copacabana and Botafogo. It's also the oldest, and is about to undergo a major facelift and expansion, with the addition of a new multiplex and supermarket. Rio Plaza, across the road (through a pedestrian underpass/subway) was an outlet mall that didn't make it. It's being reinvented as a center for gastronomy, with branches of popular restaurants like Joe & Leo's (Rio's best burgers), Gula Gula, Fiammetta, and the Outback Steak House. Currently anchoring the mall are Tok & Stok (Brazil's mini-Ikea) and Armazem Digital, another good bookstore. More stores to come. Botafogo Praia Shopping occupies the former Sears store. It's easily accessible from the Botafogo metro station. This multi-story mall has the usual offerings, but is particularly worth visiting for the restaurants and food courts on the top two floors, which have billion-dollar views of Botafogo Bay and Sugar Loaf. There's also a large and popular Cinemark multiplex in this mall. Located in the exclusive São Conrado neighborhood, the Fashion Mall is Rio's answer to the Bal Harbour Shops in Miami. This is where you'll find expensive fashion, including the Rio outposts of international brands like Armani. Barra Shopping, in the booming new section of Barra da Tijuca, is the largest mall in Latin America. There's something for everyone here! There are many other Miami-style shopping centers in Barra; as well as big box type stores selling home improvement supplies, huge hypermarkets like Carrefour and Wal-Mart, etc. It would take days to explore them all. The Rio Design Centers in Leblon and Barra originally focussed on furniture and decor, but are now adding designer clothing and other upscale shops. The Barra branch has a number of extremely attractive and fashionable restaurants on its second floor; it's a good place for lunch if you've decided to make an excursion to Barra. Rio shopping centers are open daily from morning until 8:00 or 9:00 p.m except on Sundays, when movies and food services open at noon but stores only open at 3:00 p.m. There are usually extended evening shopping hours in the weeks before Christmas and some other major shopping dates like Mother's and Father's days.

In São Paulo there seem to be shopping centers beyond count. Likeliest to be of interest to visitors are Shopping Light, downtown (in the recycled headquarters building of the electric company); Patio Higienópolis in the upscale neighborhood of the same name near downtown; Shopping Paulista, anchoring one end of Av. Paulista; the Shopping Metro Santa Cruz, at the Santa Cruz metro station (the stop for the popular Lagoa sauna); and the Shopping Iguatemi on Av. Brig. Faria Lima on the west side, with many of SP's most upscale shops.

Similar malls can be found in all larger Brazilian cities. Ask at your hotel for names, directions and hours. The magic word in Portuguese for shopping center is "shopping"!

Food

It's always worth checking out the supermarkets for things to take home. If you've become a fan of Brazilian cooking, this is where you can pick up items that can be hard to find at home, like bottled malagueta peppers and dendê palm oil. If you've become fond of farofa, you can buy it at the supermarket including ready-made prepared farofa -- look for the Yoki brand. Yoki also makes pão de queijo mix, if you've become addicted to these tasty little cheese breads! If you want to bring back cachaça to whip up caipirinhas back home the prices at the supermarket will be much better than at the airport! Ditto for Brazilian wines. Coffee is also a good buy; it's usually much cheaper than back home. For alcohol and coffee be sure to check for any import limits in your home country. Other interesting items include concentrates for tropical juices (like passion fruit, guava, etc.) and diet gelatin in tropical flavors like mango (great if you're going to be dieting when you get home)! Zona Sul and Pão de Açucar are the "best" supermarket chains in Rio. The markets are also good for stocking your hotel room with bottled water, soft drinks and snacks that will be much cheaper than the ones in the "frigobar". For fresh fruit the best selection, by far, is at the HortiFruti stores or the public street markets.

Duty Free Shopping

The duty free shops at Brazilian airports are not to be overlooked if you're in the market for imported items like fragrances, liquor, food items, etc. Unlike such stores in most countries, in Brazil you're allowed to shop for duty free goods upon arrival, as well as upon departure. You're allowed to buy up to US$500 worth of goods when entering Brazil in addition to the US$500 worth of goods you're allowed to bring into Brazil from outside the country. This is incredibly convenient if you need gifts or need to fill requests for friends in Brazil, because the shops are extensive and reasonably priced and you don't have to lug stuff on the plane! If you need foreign cigarettes, imported whisky, cologne, etc. either for yourself or to give as gifts, be sure to stop at the duty free shop before leaving the customs area. Just pick up your bags first, then "park" your luggage cart at the entrance to the store (you'll get a claim check from the friendly attendants). The US$500 limit at the duty free store includes liquor, so you can buy as many bottles as you want, within the US$500 limit. However, it's best not to buy more than six bottles of any one brand, because that can raise suspicion that you're planning to resell the stuff, which voids your allowance! Don't worry about having too much stuff, though. The staff will box it all up for you and help you load it onto your luggage cart, and then it's only a few steps to your cab or airport express bus direct to your hotel, so you won't have to maneuvre all your stuff single-handed. On your return home, you can hit the duty-free shop again to pick up anything you want to take home. Just remember that many domestically produced Brazilian items, like cachaça or coffee, are much cheaper at supermarkets than at the airport shops, so buy those things before leaving for your return flight.

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