Bargaining is an important part of shopping at most of the places you can go to in Juarez. In general, stores in the major shopping centers do not bargain on price. Most other stores will negotiate, but only if you ask. It's difficult for us to say what stores have the best prices, this is dependent upon your skills and stamina. Good Luck!

Casa Mendoza A landmark next to landmark. Casa Mendoza has been located directly behind the City Market since 1942. This large curio store features jewelry, pottery, Mexican dolls, Indian arts, onyx, blown glass, and clay ceramic pots. It's still owned by the Mendoza Family, who does its best to keep the tradition of siestas alive. The store is closed from 2:30 to 3:30 every afternoon. It's open daily except on Sunday.

Casa Ofiate- 1800 block Av. 16th de Septiembre Their business card says it's the biggest shopping center and the nicest store in Juarez. Neither is true, but there is a large selection of leather goods available. Leather purses, wallets, jackets, luggage, and even golf bags are stocked, along with saddles, silver and turquoise jewelry, and some craft items. Located in the 1800 block of Av. 16th de Septiembre, Casa Ofiate is a trolley stop midway between the Plaza de Las Americas and the City Market. If you're looking for leather, it's worth the visit. Open Monday thru Saturday, 9am - 5pm, Sunday 9am - 4pm. Credit Cards are accepted.

City Market- Av. 16th de Septiembre, about a one mile walk from the Santa Fe Bridge. This is the magnet that attracts most of the tourists. With a large main floor and a second story balcony filled with booths, you will find arts and crafts, jewelry, clothing, rugs and blankets, piņatas, and all the other typical tourist items. Be prepared to be begged and pleaded to stop at every booth. Haggled over price is expected, don't ever tell anyone if you paid the first price mentioned. It is generally assumed that the best prices on typical tourist merchandise can be found here at the market. Outside is a patio where you can stop for a cold one and, if you have the stomach, a plate of tacos. Even outside you will be accosted by children and adults hawking all kinds of goodies. There are also quite a few other stores surrounding the market. It's located on Av. 16th de Septiembre and about a one mile walk from the Santa Fe Bridge. It's also one of the last stops on the El Paso - Juarez Trolley route. Here's the kind of tourist tip you won't find everywhere. Bring your own toilet paper, or else you will pay a few cents per sheet from an attendant outside the restrooms.

Cauahtemoc Market- 2 blocks west on Av. 16th de Septiembre from the intersection of Ave. Juarez. and Ave. 16th de Septiembre. The City Market is for tourists, the Cuauhtemoc Market if for Juarenses. Located just southwest of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission. This is a bustling market like, you will find in larger cities and towns in Mexico and Central America. The 3-story market building features small restaurants on the main floor and shops on the upper floors. Outside is a bustling open - air food market with fruits, vegetables, meats, cheese, etc. Finding someone who speaks English is difficult, but, since it's more just a place to go to observe, communication may not be that important. If you are nervous about just visiting Juarez, this probably isn't a place for you to visit. If you are a little more adventurous and want a true picture of a Mexican market, it's worth seeing. We did here that pickpockets work the area, so be careful. From Av. Juarez and Av. 16th de Septiembre, go west 2 blocks on Av. 16th de Septiembre, past the church, then one block south.

Decor- Corner of Ave. Ignacio Mejia and Ave. Lincoln This 3-story store is another Juarez landmark. Mexican made furniture is now the focus on the first and second floors with glass and ceramics, plus gold and silver jewelry mixed in. The enclosed glass factory on the third floor features a viewing window wher you can watch artesans create hand-blown glass pieces. Good prices and shipping is available. At the corner of Av. Ignacio Mejia and Av. Lincoln. Open daily from 10am - 6pm. Credit Cards are accepted.

Duty Free Mexico Three locations: Av. 16th de Septiembre #531, near the City Market. Av. Juarez #378, near the Santa Fe Bridge. Pueblito Mexicano Mall Juarez Airport These stores specialize in perfumes and colognes, plus Swarovski crystal. Lladro porcelain figurines, TAG Heuer watches, Mont Blanc pens and fine liqueurs. Prices are substantially below US retail, usually 25% - 40%.

El Patio- Lincoln #787 This store is a tradition in Juarez. Look for the wrought iron Volkswagen Beetle parked out front. El Patio carries mostly larger items that you will find at the markets such as furniture, lamps, tile, and antiques. There is also a little market section with Mexican arts and crafts. Personnel can arrange shipping of large items via UPS or truck lines, so you don't have to worry about hauling your goodies back. Open daily.

A Market- Ave. Lopez Mateos #479 Norte This Mexican arts and crafts store is located on Av. Lopez Mateos, on the El Paso - Juarez Trolley route. It's a relatively large store with Indian blankets, rugs, Mexican dresses, pottery, onyx, jewelry, leather jackets, and boots. The prices are good and the location near the Plaza de las Americas makes it a good choice for finding typical Mexican items. Wholesale and retail prices. Open daily from 8:30am - 8pm.

Juarez Avenue If you walk across the bridge at the south end of Santa Fe Street in El Paso and into Juarez, you will be on Juarez Avenue. This is the main tourist strip. For a one-half mile stretch to Av. 16th de Septiembre, both sides of the street are filled with small shops, restaurants, nightclubs, the Juarez Sports Book, pharmacies, and liquor stores. During the day you see lots of tourists and locals roaming the streets. The stores contain good bargains and some of the more well-known restaurants like Nuevo Martino and The Florida are here. You will also find taxis just across the bridge that can take you to other parts of town. From the base of the bridge, it's only a 3/4 mile walk to the city or Cuauhtemoc markets. At night the bars come to life. The crowd after dark is primarily teenagers and young adults. The police are active in the evening but trouble sometimes occurs. A block or two west of the Juarez strip are the more seedy bars and clubs.

Pharmacies (Farmacias) Drugs, the legal ones, are often 25% - 40% less in Mexico than in the US. Prescriptions are not needed for things like Tagamet and antibiotics. Most are made by Mexican subsidiaries of the large multinational pharmaceuticals so quality control is good. Access is good, there seems to be a pharmacy on every corner. Two that cater to tourists are the Rio Grande Pharmacy on Av. 16th de Septiembre near the City Market and Farmacias Nacional on Av. Juarez, just across the Santa Fe Bridge. US Customs regulations state that you can only carry the amount of a prescription for personal use back into the US, and that you should have a copy of the prescription.

Plaza de Las Americas Mall-Ave. Lincoln near Ave. Ignacio Mejia This modern mall, with marble floors, huge sky lights, a 3-screen movie theater, and even an ice skating rink resembles a new American Mall. The stores are an assortment of those catering to locals and visitors. The large S-Mart grocery store is an interesting place to browse and see the similarities and differences with US stores. The mall is in an area near the bridge of the Americas that is frequently still called the Pronaf. The old Pronaf market area was torn down in the early 1990's and replaced by this modern mall. If you go to Juarez via motorized transportation: you car, a tour company, the trolley, or a taxi, this area makes an excellent "base camp." Within a few blocks of the mall you will find several stores selling Mexican crafts and furniture, plus museums, local restaurants, and several American fast food restaurants including Burger King, McDonalds, and Church's Chicken. The ice rink, Pista de Las Americas, opened in 1994, and offers public skating everyday with afternoon and evening hours. On a recent visit we found no one skating and the ice in extremely poor condition.

Pueblito Mexicano Mall-1 Mile south of the Bridge of the Americas. Just one mile south of the Bridge of the Americas, this three year old mall has yet to live up to its potential. Built to resemble a Mexican Village, the indoor courtyard looks like the town plaza with shops and restaurants around the perimeter. It is a beautiful building with stained glass windows and intricate stone work, but its occupancy rate has probably never exceeded 50%. There are a few good curio shops and restaurants, plus a good-sized grocery store. Look for the tall clock tower as you enter the first commercial district driving south from the bridge. Free parking is available.

Rio Grande Mall-Lopez Mateos and Ave. Triunfo de la Republica. This moderate-sized mall in central Juarez is a relatively typical middle class Mexican shopping center. The largest tenants are the grocery store and department store. Others include jewelry, shoe, curio, and clothing stores. The bakery and tortillaria on the south side of the mall sell Mexican pastries and corn tortillas hot from the oven and are priced for the locals.