Don't hide from it. Revel in it.
Shopping is a drug, and just as therapeutic as anything handed out by your doctor.
That's why when we wanted to know which international cities deliver the most gratifying shopping prescriptions, we consulted global experts, such as fashion merchandising firm Donegar Creative Services and Marie Bergfelt, senior spokesperson for Global Blue, which publishes the Globe Shopper City Index.
Then we judged cities in four areas, using a one-to-10 scoring scale for each category:
1. Getting around: Quality of public transportation, affordability and availability of cabs.
2. Value: Bargain opportunities, such as sale seasons and average prices.
3. Variety: Number of available brands, range of shopping categories, quantity of upscale shops, department stores, boutique and vintage retailers and market stalls.
4. Experience: City beauty, quality of window displays and shop décor, friendliness and competence of clerks and service staff, dining and accommodation options.
Then we charged into the breach.
10. Madrid
Sidewalks. Glorious sidewalks.
Getting around: 6 | Value: 6 | Variety: 4 | Experience: 7 | Total: 23
Madrid mostly gets our credit cards warm simply for being Madrid, though it's worth noting that the city ranks third for best prices on general luxury items in the Globe Shopper Index.
But we can't wow our friends with statistics (not our shopping friends, anyway), so what about the goods?
When searching for items unique to Madrid, we fell in love with Capas Seseña.
Established in 1901, the shop sells traditional wool and cotton velvet capes for men and women. The clientele includes Pierce Brosnan and Hillary Clinton. Picasso was reportedly buried in his cape from the store.
Casa de Diego stocks souvenir-worthy fans, mantillas, ornamental combs and even castanets. But what we really wanted to take home was one of its work-of-art statement umbrellas with engraved silver handle (€325/US$415).
Whip out the plastic at:
Capas Seseña, Calle de la Cruz, 23, 28012 Madrid, Community of Madrid; +34 915 316 840; open Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5-8:15 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and 4-8 p.m.; www.sesena.com
Casa de Diego, Puerta del Sol, 12. 28013 Madrid; +34 91 522 66 43; open Monday-Saturday 9:45 a.m.-8 p.m.; www.casadediego.net
9. Dubai, United Arab Emirates
All that glitters often really is gold in Dubai.
Getting around: 6 | Value: 6 | Variety: 8 | Experience: 4 | Total: 24
Dubai is known for glamour and excess; so you can pretty much guess that the shopping here would have your Scottish/Chinese/Indian/Great Depression grandmother spinning in her inexpensive plywood coffin.
A miniature kingdom unto itself, the Dubai Mall is the world's largest mall in total area, with theme parks, a waterfall, "dancing" fountains, Olympic-sized ice rink, aquarium, indoor souk and malls within the mall, such as the Galeries Lafayette from France and the first Bloomingdales outside the United States.
If that isn't enough cash registers, there's also the Mall of the Emirates, with the first indoor ski resort in the Middle East.
The Dubai Mall also hosts the annual Dubai Shopping Festival in January and February. We assume it's called a festival because they have fireworks, but it's really about package deals and discounts -- up to 70 percent on electronics, clothing and popular items.
The 2013 festival starts January 5.
Whip out the plastic at:
Dubai Mall, Doha Street, Dubai; +971 4 362 7500; open Monday-Wednesday and Saturday-Sunday 10 a.m.-10 p.m., Thursday-Friday 10 a.m.-11:30 p.m.; www.thedubaimall.com
Mall of the Emirates, Al Barsha 3, Dubai; +971 4 377 2000; open Sunday-Wednesday 10 a.m.-10 p.m., Thursday-Saturday 10 a.m.-12 a.m.; www.malloftheemirates.com
8. Vienna
It only feels like every day is Christmas in Vienna. Getting around: 6 | Value: 8 | Variety: 3 | Experience: 8 | Total: 25
With some of the earliest closing hours out of all the cities on the Globe Shopper Index, Vienna is tricky for shopping.
Total buzz kill, right?
But it also has some of the best values in Europe, coming in second on the Index for total cost of luxury items.
At the centuries-old Naschmarkt, you can eat your way along 1.5 kilometers of 120 food vendors flogging local eats from kaiserschmarrn (dessert pancakes) and crepe-like palatschinke to exotic cheeses and seafood.
During Christmas season you can browse through glass baubles and handcrafted ornaments while sipping on glühwein at Vienna's venerable and gloriously lit Christmas markets, the Platonic ideal of a fairy tale Christmas.
That's good for an extra "Experience" point and an eighth-place finish.
Whip out the plastic at:
Naschmarkt, 1060 Vienna; +43 1 5463405430; open Monday-Friday 6 a.m.-7:30 p.m., Saturday 6 a.m.-6 p.m.
The Viennese Christmas Market by City Hall runs November 17 to December 24. Rathausplatz, 1010 Vienna; open Sunday-Thursday 10 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Friday-Saturday 10 a.m.-10 p.m., December 24 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; www.christkindlmarkt.at
7. Buenos Aires
How many styles can you pack into one place?Getting around: 6 | Value: 8 | Variety: 6 | Experience: 7 | Total: 27
Sexy Argentine dance moves + sexy Argentine climate = sexy Argentine shopping.
Yes, the formula sort of sometimes works like that, especially when you're stalking high-quality leather at affordable prices.
Established in Buenos Aires in 1952, Mocasines Guido sells leather shoes for men; today there are three locations in Buenos Aires.
Calle Murillo is a street with leather shops that also offer tailoring services. Murillo 666 is perhaps the best known, but about 50 more surround it, a handy surfeit of shops come haggle time.
Whip out the plastic at:
Moscasines Guido, Rodríguez Peña 1290, Buenos Aires; +54 11 4813 4095; open Monday-Friday 9:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m., Saturday 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
Murillo 666, Murilla 66, Villa Crespo, Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires Province; +54 11 4856 4501; open Monday-Saturday 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
6. Hong Kong
In Hong Kong, you can always find someone to go shopping with. Getting around: 10 | Value: 5 | Variety: 6 | Experience: 7 | Total: 28
Hong Kong's shop clerks are borderline stalkers -- in a good way!
If you don't know where you're going, they'll follow you around till you find it. If you don't know what you want, they'll tell you.
But the obsessive help can come in handy, especially if it leads to a world-class bargain.
According to Global Shopper City Index research, 87 percent of Hong Kong tourists shop, and "76 percent of shopping tourists expressed above-average satisfaction on value for money in 2011." Small wonder that Hong Kong also claims the title of best Asian shopping city in the Index.
For a bespoke shopping experience that involves local color, we hit up individual boutiques.
Fang Fong Projects in Central stocks womenswear from local label Fang Fong, which is like a Shanghai Tang that you'd actually want to wear -- modern clothes with tasteful Asian touches.
Frequented by celebrities, KniQ stocks one-of-a-kind items like artfully ripped stockings (HK$320/US$41), and a selection of jumpsuits for men that costs upward of HK$2,000 (US$250).
Whip out the plastic at:
KniQ, Shop 4B, Vienna Mansion, 55 Paterson St, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong; +852 2881 7903; open Monday-Saturday 2-10 p.m., Sunday 2-9 p.m.; www.kniq.com.hk
Fang Fong Projects, 67A Peel St., Central, Hong Kong; +852 3105 5557; open daily 2-8 p.m.
The hippest district in town: The likes of Kapok, Club Monaco Men's Store, Monocle are found in in Starstreet Precinct in Wanchai (Star Street, Moon Street, Sun Street) and St. Francis Yard.
5. Paris
The Parisian life is yours. Euros not included. Getting around: 6 | Value: 6 | Variety: 8 | Experience: 9 | Total: 29
The best shops in Paris don't sell clothes. They sell lifestyles.
Whimsical concept shop Merci stocks a selection of designer goods that fall under the category of utterly useless but absolutely desirable, such as art deco Bakelite switches. It's housed in an airy and vaguely bucolic space that includes a secondhand bookshop, florist and café. In addition to the Annick Goutal scent line, Merci stocks apparel by Stella McCartney and Yves St Laurent, often with deep discounts.
Colette offers reduced prices on designer goods. Then again, if you're like us, whatever you save on a Fendi dress might be spent on stylin' necessities like a bottle of Bling H2O, which comes in a frosted glass bottle decorated with Swarovski crystals. It's available for about US$50 at the downstairs "water bar," which has more than 70 brands of bottled water.
And, of course, there's the holy trinity of Parisian department stores:
Le Bon Marché dates to the 1850s. It's famed for a monster section of gourmet food (5,000 choices strong).
Printemps has the world's largest beauty department. This year the store is partnering with Christian Dior for an exclusive line.
Extravagant Galeries Lafayette is housed in a seven-story art nouveau structure with an entire floor dedicated to lingerie. Every Friday at 3 p.m. there's a free fashion show with English commentary. Reservations required, either by emailing welcome@galerieslafayette.com or calling +33 1 42 82 36 40.
Whip out the plastic at:
Le Bon Marché, 24, rue de Sèvres, Seventh Arrondissement, Paris; +33 1 44 39 80 00; open Monday-Wednesday, Saturday 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Thursday-Friday 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; www.lebonmarche.com
Printemps, 64, boulevard Haussmann, Ninth Arrondissement, Paris; +33 1 4282 5000; open Monday-Saturday 9:30 a.m.-7 p.m. except for Thursday open 9:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; www.printemps.com
Galeries Lafayette, 40, boulevard Haussmann, Ninth Arrondissement, Paris; +33 1 4282 3456; open Monday-Wednesday, Friday-Saturday 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m., Thursday 9:30 a.m.-9 p.m.; www.galerieslafayette.com
Merci, 111, boulevard Beaumarchais, Third Arrondissement, Paris; +33 1 42 77 00 33; open Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; www.merci-merci.com
Colette 213, rue St.-Honoré, First Arrondissement, Paris; +33 1 55 35 33 90; open Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; www.colette.fr
4. Kuala Lumpur
"OK, we're the first ones in. Now what?"Getting around: 6 | Value: 10 | Variety: 8 | Experience: 6 | Total: 30
Sometimes bigger really is better.
That's the prevailing shopper's ethic in Kuala Lumpur, anyway.
Three of the world's 10 largest malls are in KL, including 1 Utama, the world's fourth-largest mall with more than 650 shops, Asia's largest indoor rock climbing facility, massive rooftop garden with 500 species of exotic plants and indoor rainforest with koi ponds and freshwater aquarium.
KL's impressive score comes from its winning combination of high quality shopping, affordable prices and reliable sales, which can stretch for several months. This year's Year-End-Sale, from November 10 to December 31, is just one doozy of an example.
Whip out the plastic at:
1 Utama, 1, Lebuh Bandar Utama, Bandar Utama City Centre, Bandar Utama, 47800 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan; +60 3 7710 8118; open daily 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; www.1utama.com.my
Local designer Peter Hoe's store in KL's historical building: Peter Hoe Beyond, 145 Jaan Tun HS Lee, Kuala Lumpur, +60 3 2026 9788, open daily 10 a.m.- 7 p.m.
3. London
Don't be fooled by Liberty's Tudor facade. Ultra-modernity lurks within. Getting around: 6 | Value: 6 | Variety: 10 | Experience: 9 | Total: 31
London prices can destroy your will to live. And that's just the cab fare to get to the shopping areas.
But get over the sticker shock and you'll probably agree with its Globe Shopper Index ranking as top European shopping city and its Donegar Group nod as the world's top fashion shopping destination.
The Globe Shopper City Index notes that London outstrips all the other European cities in both the quantity of shops and availability of international and local brands.
London shopping at its best is bold, eclectic and international. Case in point: department store Liberty.
Liberty may have a Tudor-style exterior and fireplaces, but its stock is contemporary and cool, encompassing in-house designer stationary, clever kitchen accessories to upstage your neighbors and clothes from a select pool of local and international designers.
Of course, you might end up with a £245 (US$390) Mathieu Challières Mini Volière Bird Cage Table Lamp, but that's the black magic of a wonderful shop -- it inspires you to buy things you never knew existed.
Whip out the plastic at:
Liberty, Great Marlborough Street, London, +44 20 7734 1234; open Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.–8 p.m., Sunday noon–6 p.m.; www.liberty.co.uk
London's most fashion forward market: Dover Street Market, 17-17 Dover St., London W1S 4LT; +44 20 7518 0680; open Monday-Wednesday 11 a.m.-6:30 p.m., Thursday-Saturday 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Sunday noon-5 p.m.; www.doverstreetmarket.com
2. Tokyo
"If it's not kawaii, we're not stopping."Getting around: 8 | Value: 8 | Variety: 9 | Experience: 9 | Total: 34
The ultimate Tokyo shopping experience is the department store. Walk into one and you'll be met like a royal.
Global chain Isetan has its mammoth flagship store in Shinjuku, eight separate buildings stretched along two blocks. Isetan has English, Chinese and Korean-speaking staff and a personalized interpretation service, as well as shopping consultants who will advise you on everything from shoes to fish, all available through reservation (+81 3 3225 2514).
A foodie heaven, the basement has dainty Japanese bento boxes as well as French pastries and macaroons. When shopping for clothes you can take a break from the international luxury brands on stock to try on some kimonos.
Tokyo's shopping is also surprisingly affordable, according to the Globe Shopper City Index, with Asia's fourth-cheapest shopping, and the cheapest average price for a Canon EOS 600D body.
All this too tame? No worries, Tokyo still gets its freak on. Shops like the seven-story M's: Pop Life Sex Department Store sell creative toys such as you've never seen and we prefer not to describe in front of our impressionable interns.
Whip out the plastic at:
Comme des Garçons,5-2-1 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo; +81 3 3406 3951; open daily 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; www.comme-des-garcons.com
M's: Pop Life Sex Department Store, 1-15-13 Soukanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo,; +81 3 3252 6166; open daily 10 a.m.-11 p.m.; www.ms-online.co.jp
Isetan Shijuku flagship, 3-14-1 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; +81 3 3352 1111; open daily 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; www.isetan.co.jp
1. New York
From fab to abstract, you'll buy it at Saks Fifth Avenue. Or at least stop to look.Getting around: 8 | Value: 7 | Variety: 10 | Experience: 10 | Total: 35
In what other city can you score a Blair Waldorf Henri Bendel headband and Chuck Bass’ bright red onesie?
"This town has so much diversity in style and interpretations of chic," says New York-based fashion editor and stylist Stella Lee.
For something you can't simply Google up, Lee recommends vintage showroom Rare Vintage for "anyone who is visiting and in search of a shopping gem unique to NYC."
"You can find pieces from every possible era spanning the entire last century of fashion history, and from a wide range of design houses including the likes of Galanos, Dior, Givenchy, Ungaro, Pierre Cardin, Ossie Clark, and more," says Lee.
If you have the stamina to get up at ungodly hours for the city's sample sale stampedes, New York Magazine has a comprehensive guide.
Whip out the plastic at:
Rare Vintage, 24 West 57th St., New York; +1 212 581 7273; open Monday-Friday 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m.; www.rarevintage.com
From vintage collectibles to local art and crafts: Brooklyn Flea (Fort Greene Flea), 176 Lafayette Ave., Brooklyn, open Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m.- 5 p.m., www.brooklynflea.com (moves to 1 Hanson Place at Ashland Pl., Fort Greene from November 24 to April)
Which is your favorite shopping city? Where do you like to shop? Leave a comment.
Originally published November 2012; updated September 16, 2013.