SEATTLE, USA — Come November 29, shoppers in the US would be going gaga for the annual Black Friday Sale, the Friday after Thanksgiving wherein many stores drop prices and often extend opening hours to jumpstart the Christmas shopping season.
Whether it is Black Friday Sale or not, in Seattle, here are the stores where one can score good deals on designer stuff, unique items and other great finds:
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Pike Place Market
Apart from being a 55-year-old Filipino heritage restaurant, Oriental Food Mart is also a souvenir shop offering a vast array of refrigerator magnets, keychains, shot glasses and other mandatory “pasalabong” among Filipinos visiting the area.
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Built in 1911, the market, also known as PPM, is home to 471 shops, the biggest the market has ever been, said Eat Seattle tour guide Jonathan Oxorn.
“People in Seattle, we love to come back to the market, even if we're not showing people who come from out of town,” said Oxorn, adding that locals always go to PPM because it “is a great place to shop and eat.”
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From handicrafts to fresh produce, PPM is where artisans and shoppers from all over the world converge. The market attracts up to 10,000 daily visitors, said Oxorn.
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Central Business District
Since Seattle’s city center is a 15-minute, walkable area, heritage American shopping centers like Nordstrom, Target and Sephora are only at a walking distance from major hotels such as The Westin.
Among these shops, Nordstrom Rack offers the most discounts on high-street to designer eyewear, clothes, bags and shoes; while Target is the go-to department store for electronics, home items and groceries, among others.
For comparison, a pair of Tom Ford sunglasses may cost at least P25,000 in the Philippines; but in Nordstrom Rack, it costs between P6,000 to P8,000. Likewise, a Marc Jacobs backpack usually has a P50,000 price tag in the Philippines; but in Nordstrom Rack, it was sold for only around P7,000.
According to Oxorn, around the same time as the Gold Rush was going on in America in the 1900s, “mostly up in Canada and Alaska, miners would come to Seattle first to get clothing and mining supplies before heading up north.”
“A couple of big companies open to provide that. So Eddie Bauer and Nordstrom are two of the biggest that came out of that area,” he shared.
In 1887, with only $5 in his pocket, a non-English-speaking John W. Nordstrom left Sweden for the United States at 16 years old. To make ends meet, he labored in mines and logging camps. He joined the Gold Rush, crossing from California to Washington, Alaska and the Klondike. After two years, he came back to Seattle with $13,000 on hand.
From there, Nordstrom partnered with Carl Wallin, a Seattle shoemaker he met in Alaska, and established a shoe store, Wallin & Nordstrom, in downtown Seattle.
Westfield Southcenter
Over a 15-minute drive from the city center is the city’s biggest mall, Westfield Southcenter, which has culture-focused stores, such as those for Japanese pop, interspersed with the usual international brands.
For Filipinos or those interested about Filipino culture, among the must-visits here are branches of Filipino fast food chains Jollibee and Chowking.
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Costco
In 1983, Jim Sinegal, a former grocery bagger, and Jeff Brotman opened the first Costco wholesale club in Seattle. That very first store in 4401 4th Ave S is still there, providing a huge variety of bulk groceries, electronics and more — but for members only.
Seattle Premium Outlets
A 45-minute-to-an-hour drive from The Westin is Seattle Premium Outlets, a dizzying 50-acre mall carrying over 130 brand names. One needs an entire day to visit all the shops.
For comparison, a Kate Spade bag with a P45,000 price tag in the Philippines, is sold at around P7,000 in the American brand’s store in the Premium Outlets. In like manner, a pair of Adidas running shoes that costs P4,000 in the Philippines is sold at P1,300 in the label’s Seattle outlet store.
While most shops look like warehouses and typical outlet rack stores, Ralph Lauren stands out for its villa-style, multi-level shop that gives off a Gentleman’s Club vibe.
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Editor's note: The tour to Seattle was hosted by Philippine Airlines to promote tourism in the area. At no stage does the host organization have a say on the stories generated from the coverage, interviews conducted, publication date and story treatment. Content is produced solely by Philstar.com following editorial guidelines.