Timetable
Shops usually open from 9:30 am to 5-6 pm from Monday to Saturday and sometimes also on Sunday morning in the most touristic areas. In the interior of the island, they may be closed on Thursday afternoon in addition to Sunday. The malls follow the same schedule except for their food courts and entertainment areas which stay open later. The Bagatelle, Cascavelle and Grand Bay malls close later (around 8pm). Hypermarkets are open from 9am to 7:30pm-8:30pm but generally close around 3pm on Sundays and holidays. Markets generally start and stop earlier than shops, except for the big ones, such as the one in Port Louis, which stay open until 6pm.
Budget & Tips
The cost of living is generally lower than in Europe except for imported products such as meat, wine, dairy products, etc., and all European branded products whose prices are similar to those in France. In general, it is better to buy fruits and vegetables in markets than in supermarkets - a question of price and taste.
Otherwise, for non-food products, one of the particularities of Mauritius is to practice tax exemption. From an amount of 2 300 Rs, any purchase in a store stamped Tax Refund allows to recover the 15% VAT. To do so, you need to ask for a receipt of vat paid supplies to visitors at the cash desk and give your passport number and the details of your return flight. Once at the airport and before checking in your luggage, you must declare your purchases at the customs office located in the departure hall - MRA Customs. Once you have cleared immigration, present your receipt at the MCCI Tax Refund counter and collect your refund in dollars, pounds or euros. Alternatively, purchase duty-free and collect your items at the MCCI Tax Refund counter on the day of departure.
For more information, please visit www.taxfreeshopping.mu: an online portal dedicated to shopping and in particular to tax-free shopping. Managed by the Mauritius Chamber of Commerce and Industry, it ensures the authenticity of the brands listed, seeks to identify and promote interesting local brands, actively fights against counterfeiting, and ensures the quality and traceability of all brands listed on the site - whether local or international. Simple and efficient, the pages dedicated to brands and stores are full of information on the history of each company, the location of stores in Mauritius (cartography facilitating navigation and location), days and opening hours, etc.
Thanks to the tax exemption, but also to the quality of the local production, you can make good deals on textiles via a range of stylish Mauritian brands(Cottons, Habit, Inam, Michel Abad, The Kreol Republic, Tou Korek, IV Play...) and some international brands that make all or part of their clothes locally and resell the surplus or old collections at a much lower price than in Europe(Baobab Company, Belle & Toile, Café Coton, Harris Wilson, Hugo Boos, Le Gall, etc.). There are also good deals on jewelry , with opportunities that are all the more interesting because precious stones (including diamonds) and semi-precious stones are sold at more attractive prices than in Europe. This is the case at Adamas, Caunhye Bijoux, Bijem, Patrick Mavros, Poncini, Ravior, etc.
What's very local
Tourist traps