Bargains Customary on St. Thomas

In many Caribbean ports of call, tourists find shopping as alluring as sun and surf. Those shopping for Caribbean bargains should select St. Thomas, the smallest of the three U.S. Virgin Islands. Not only does it offer quality goods, U.S. Customs laws make buying there advantageous.

U.S. citizens who have been abroad at least 48 hours may import from the U.S. Virgin Islands (St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas) up to $1,200 worth of duty-free purchases, including five liters of liquor: four produced in the U.S. Virgin Islands plus one liter produced elsewhere. That’s double the limit permitted duty-free from other Caribbean ports with the exception of Puerto Rico, which has no limit.

Another reason to shop on St. Thomas is that the capital of Charlotte Amalie is a buying mecca, with about 400 general stores and chic specialty boutiques offering labeled merchandise, including liquor, perfume, sweaters, woolens, designer clothing and accessories, jewelry, china, crystal and linens for at least 20% below mainland retail.

Clustered in centuries-old historic buildings along Main Street, Waterfront Highway and Back Street, between the post office and Market Square, the shops offer a blend of bargains.

A.H. Riise on Main Street is St. Thomas’ finest general store. Top luxury labels include Royal Doulton and Wedgwood, Lalique and Orrefors, Cristofle, Lladro and other luxury brands, all sold at 20% or more off mainland retail prices.

Riise’s liquor department offers expensive imports or cheaper labels of whiskey, Scotch, vodka and brandy. Marmot Swiss Chocolate Liqueur with Chocolate Bits, a Riise exclusive, sells for $15.95 per fifth. If you buy your full liquor allowance at Riise or another shop, ask to have purchases delivered directly to your ship, free of charge.

A.H. Riise Gift Shop Alley features an art gallery with prints and watercolors by local artists, plus elegant reproductions of old maps. The watch section sells everything from Swatches ($29) to diamond-studded Swiss watches that cost thousands of dollars.

Bolero and Sparky’s are both well-stocked Main Street general stores. Bolero specializes in inexpensive prepackaged rum selections ($27.50 for five fifths). Sparky’s, known for discount liquor, also sells discounted cameras and photo equipment, but before buying there, compare prices at the Royal Caribbean shop on Main Street. It has a bigger selection and usually prices items about $10 less.

Little Switzerland, the famous chain of general stores with branches throughout the Caribbean, has three outlets on Main Street. Stock includes everything made by big-name designers, including Orrefors and Lalique, Aynsley, Villeroy & Boch, Wedgwood and Royal Doulton, fine jewelry, watches and other luxuries--all sold for at least 20% less than mainland prices.

Gucci and Louis Vuitton have Main Street boutiques. The Leather Shop sells Fendi leather goods. Prices are 20% to 30% less than mainland retail.

Tropicana Perfume Shop’s two Main Street outlets have the island’s biggest selection of fragrances, including American-made scents, at duty-free prices.

Main Street jewelers include Cardow, with discounted Piaget and Swatch watches and three-carat diamond bracelets for $2,000. Gem Palace offers one-carat diamond tennis bracelets from $499. H. Stern shows complete selections of expensive H. Stern standards. Jewelry Vault styles are similar to those at H. Stern, but lower prices include sapphire and diamond rings from $500.

Mr. Tablecloth and Linen House compete to beat each other on Chinese embroidered and/or cutwork tablecloths (from $25 to $250), napkin sets and table-top accessories.

Those who arrive at St. Thomas by cruise ship should stop at Havensight Mall, an attractive dock-side shopping area with many small branches of top St. Thomas shops, including Little Switzerland, The Leather Shop, H. Stern and Royal Caribbean. Or go by taxi (negotiate cost before traveling) to downtown Charlotte Amalie for the larger shops.

Another advantage to buying in the U.S. Virgin Islands is that postal rates are the same as those on the mainland, so mailing packages home costs less than from other ports.

In addition, Customs allows the mailing of gifts worth up to $100 per gift to U.S. citizens. Or a package of individually wrapped gifts to a variety of people, worth up to $100 per gift, may be mailed to one person for dispersement to others. Many Charlotte Amalie shops mail packages daily.

Cruise ships that call at St. Thomas have their own duty-free retail shops with highly competitive prices. Although on-board shops remain closed while the ship is in port, there’s plenty of time at sea for bargain buying. For best deals, shop the ship’s boutiques for the first two days at sea, listing prices on liquor, perfume, china, crystal, watches and other items. Go ashore with the list and compare prices.