The best fashion and gift stores Mongolia

Timetable

As a general rule, shops are open from 8am or 9am to 6pm, or even 8pm for department stores. Shopping centers close later, usually around 10pm, and remain open on weekends. Some supermarkets and stores operate 24 hours a day. These include the CU and GS25 chains, whose convenient stores remain open without interruption.

Budget & Tips

Life in Mongolia is much cheaper than in France. So you'll have no trouble getting bargains. However, foreign products and brand names are priced much the same as in France. Stores are located in shopping malls, and globalization has brought with it the same major brands that can be found everywhere. Department stores accept credit cards, but you'll need cash to pay for items bought in markets or small shops.

What's very local

Bargaining is not allowed in department stores, but is practiced in markets or for certain services such as car rentals with drivers. However, most prices are pretty much fixed, which limits the room for maneuver, unlike the practice of haggling in neighboring China, for example. The most effective solution is to first find out what the prices are and then stick to them.

Among the products to buy locally, cashmere is a favorite among Westerners. Being locally produced, it is indeed much cheaper in Mongolia. It is possible to stock up on 100% cashmere clothes in many stores in the capital, and cashmere products can also be found on the market stalls. The markets are full of all kinds of items. Ulaanbaatar's black market, Naran Tuul, offers very cheap clothes, but also souvenirs, handicrafts, leather goods, etc. It is the perfect place to go to buy cashmere. It is the perfect place to find gifts to bring back to your relatives or to offer to nomads before leaving for the countryside. Be careful though, because the quality is not always there...

Tourist traps

The markets are numerous in Mongolia, and the counterfeits too. It will be no problem to find articles of big brands for a derisory price. These copies are of course not allowed in Europe and, in case of customs control, you will be confiscated. Clothes, shoes... be careful when shopping!

As far as antiques are concerned, it is the same problem. Fakes from China circulate in souvenir stores and markets. Polished to look ancient, these objects are actually only a few months old at most. Those who want to leave with genuine antiques should go to the official stores and keep a certificate of authenticity with them so that their goods are not confiscated at customs on the return journey.