Preparing the big weekend sale

Geneva, Switzerland – Vintage handbags, designer suits & dresses – think Dior, Chanel, and American brands – will be for sale this weekend in Geneva and for a good cause: the Salvation Army-sponsored programs in Geneva and French-speaking Switzerland. On Saturday 13 March the otherwise low-key store becomes a brand name vintage seller, so prepare to shop starting at 10:00.

Read more…

January sales and shopping in Geneva

Geneva, Switzerland – Whoever said there are never clearance sales or good deals in Geneva has never shopped the last weekend in January when most, if not all, stores slash their prices up to 70%.

Granted, 70% off a CHF5,000 cardigan may hardly seem a bargain but I was able to find some great deals, say, hand-made Italian boots in leather for CHF45. One caveat though, three sizes too big for me. Never mind that. They might be your size. I found Kookai pants for CHF30, and some cute snow boots for only CHF15. So, there’s hope. Even consignment and second-hand stores are reducing their prices!

The best deals in town can be found Friday and Saturday (29, 30 January.) Take advantage now because the second largest sale won’t take place until the end of  summer when most people are still away on holidays.

Happy shopping!

Find up what’s up in Geneva through our Twitter channel or subscribe to this blog, just type “subscribe” on the subject line and I’ll alert you when my new blog is up. The best? You can unsubscribe at any time!

"Not another season of no-traction adventurism!"

Geneva, Switzerland - Let’s face it, winter is around the corner and you know what that means for your vehicle: time to put on the winter tires.

Where to find the best deal on tires in Geneva and the Lake Geneva area? The consumer-oriented magazine Bon a savoir carried out a study and reported the best deals are found online.

According to the weekly magazine, the best site on the net is www.pneus-online-suisse.ch which offers tires, or pneus as they are called in French, at reasonable prices. Of course you can also find great deals by checking the auto section of Anibis the largest classified site in French-speaking Switzerland.

Beat the rush and get your car “winterized” before the snow flies in the ski stations.

Geneva, Switzerland – Where to find consignment shops in Geneva? Well, right here!

It is important to mention that the following are privately owned and not charity-run stores. To find the latter, see my posting: Second hand/thrift stores in Geneva and Lausanne.

This on-going list is sorted in alphabetical order:

Read more…

Click to view the flyer

Geneva, Switzerland – The popular International Children’s Clothing and Sports Items Sale returns on Sunday 11 October for its Fall edition. In addition to clothing you will find baby equipment, sports items, books and movies for children and adults.

The sale (previously featured in GenevaLunch) will take place at the Sacre Coeur church in Geneva’s Plainpalais neighborhood, starting at 13:00. Attention buyers, long lines await at 13:00 so aim for 15:00 when the crowd thins out.

Another important event for those of you new to Geneva is the 4th Expat Expo which will take place on Sunday 11 October at Palexpo.

In addition, see a selection of the most relevant events taking place this weekend in the GenevaLunch Events section.

Flea market at the Paquis, the time of the year to buy and sell to your heart's content

Geneva, Switzerland – The mother of all neighborhood flea markets is back, or better said, never went away. That’s right, we are talking about the Paquis flea market. Previously in New To Geneva? Me Too, we mentioned the famous Fetes de Rues, also known as the La Ville est a Vous and how this year these parties did not include the ever so big and notorious Paquis event.

The Paquis flea market will be taking place after all on 19 and 20 September but not under the City banner of La Ville est a vous but under the name: La Rue est a vous.

Read more…

Window display at a second-hand shop, thrift store in Geneva

I must confess; the font of knowledge in our household vis a vis Geneva thrift stores, is my husband.

He’s an avid shopper and a true bargain hunter who found several thrift stores while waiting for us to join him in Switzerland and who continues to find great bargain basements in the Lake Geneva region.

I personally like two thrift stores in particular. The Salvation Army store or Armee du Salut in Geneva a no-frills storehouse which always has treasures in plain-sight. The store accepts debit and credit cards for purchases over 25 francs and offers delivery of large items in the City of Geneva for a small fee. The second store on my list is the Caritas in Plan-les-Ouates which also has great deals. This is a two-story warehouse full of paintings, kitchen items, furniture, beautiful old plates, books and a small boutique on the second floor. A plus is that they recently started accepting credit and debit cards for purchases over 30 francs.

Window shopping at a second-hand store in Geneva

These kind of shops are called brocantes which is also the name used by antique stores selling high end and expensive items so beware when browsing.

The list of stores I have compiled in this post are not-for-profit stores that receive donated items and resell them in order to generate employment and money for charity, none of these are privately owned. One of these stores, Caritas, offers people the possibility to leave items on consignment in one of their specialty shops.

List of second hand shops or thrifts stores in Geneva:

Read more…

Geneva's street parties begin

One of my favorite events in Geneva is without a doubt, the Ville est-a-vous, or loosely translated, the town belongs to you.

The concept is simple: the streets in Geneva are public spaces that belong to the people at large who may use them to express and enjoy themselves.

For the sixth consecutive year, the City  through neighborhood associations, is organizing outdoor parties and flea markets in designated streets.

Nine neighborhoods invite city residents, to set up shop in the streets, and to sell everything from bicycle parts to old Christmas ornaments. Show up early, street space is free and is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Read more…

[Update: This is the new email address to reach the sale organizers]

Who ever said you can’t buy a good bike, roller blades, camping -or snow- equipment, books in English, videos/DVDs at the same time you get your kids’ clothing items -babies to teens- and top quality baby equipment? You can find all that and more under one roof, twice a year in Geneva at the International Children Clothing Sale.

This is one the largest sales in the Lake Geneva Region, of used -and some new- items preferred by expats, and locals, who know how to save a pretty penny or make some extra francs.

Read more…