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Friday, September 4, 2026

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Priya Menon

Priya Menon writes for curious travellers who want local context alongside a useful route and a realistic plan. She writes expedition and market guides, sets the grading standard applied across reviews, and reports the practical files — housing, health, paperwork — that make a place livable.

Lead Writer

Independent travel editor covering routes, guides, review standards and practical travel service.

Articles by Priya Menon

Folded rug corner showing its woven reverse side

What to Check Before You Buy a Hand-Knotted Rug

Priya Menon

Kraft parcel tied with string on a wooden table

The US Ended De Minimis for Mailed Goods — What It Changes for Shoppers

Priya Menon

How Much Can You Bring Home Duty-Free From a Shopping Trip Abroad?

How Much Can You Bring Home Duty-Free From a Shopping Trip Abroad?

Priya Menon

What Buy Now, Pay Later Actually Costs — and Who Protects You If It Goes Wrong

What Buy Now, Pay Later Actually Costs — and Who Protects You If It Goes Wrong

Priya Menon

How Much Can You Bring Home From a Market Before U.S. Customs Charges You?

How Much Can You Bring Home From a Market Before U.S. Customs Charges You?

Priya Menon

Back-to-School Forecasts Split: NRF Sees a Record $146.8 Billion, Deloitte Sees Families Cutting Back

Back-to-School Forecasts Split: NRF Sees a Record $146.8 Billion, Deloitte Sees Families Cutting Back

Priya Menon

Otavalo Market Guide: What Ecuadorian Textiles Should Actually Cost

Otavalo Market Guide: What Ecuadorian Textiles Should Actually Cost

Priya Menon

Amazon Moved Prime Day to June: What the Calendar Shift Means for July Deal Hunters

Amazon Moved Prime Day to June: What the Calendar Shift Means for July Deal Hunters

Priya Menon

How to Negotiate at a Swap Meet: What Works at American Flea Markets

How to Negotiate at a Swap Meet: What Works at American Flea Markets

Priya Menon

May Retail Sales Beat Expectations: Spending Up 0.9% as Prices and Volumes Both Rose

May Retail Sales Beat Expectations: Spending Up 0.9% as Prices and Volumes Both Rose

Priya Menon

Damnoen Saduak Floating Market: Is It Worth the Trip from Bangkok?

Damnoen Saduak Floating Market: Is It Worth the Trip from Bangkok?

Priya Menon

Malls in 2026: Fox Run Goes Dark While Others Add Tenants — the Split Continues

Malls in 2026: Fox Run Goes Dark While Others Add Tenants — the Split Continues

Priya Menon

What Real Saffron and Argan Cost in the Marrakech Spice Souks

What Real Saffron and Argan Cost in the Marrakech Spice Souks

Priya Menon

Department Stores Split: Kohl's Guides to a Smaller Year While Nordstrom Rack Grows

Department Stores Split: Kohl's Guides to a Smaller Year While Nordstrom Rack Grows

Priya Menon

Where Haggling Is Expected — and Where It Will Offend: A Country-by-Country Guide

Where Haggling Is Expected — and Where It Will Offend: A Country-by-Country Guide

Priya Menon

February's Late Retail Sales Report Showed Spending Up 0.6% — and Slower Post-Holiday Momentum

February's Late Retail Sales Report Showed Spending Up 0.6% — and Slower Post-Holiday Momentum

Priya Menon

Do Farmers Markets Actually Cost More Than Supermarkets? The Price Math

Do Farmers Markets Actually Cost More Than Supermarkets? The Price Math

Priya Menon

Tariffs Reach the Shelf: Which Prices Are Moving and How Shoppers Are Responding

Tariffs Reach the Shelf: Which Prices Are Moving and How Shoppers Are Responding

Priya Menon

Saint-Ouen Flea Market: What the Puces de Paris Actually Sell, and What Things Cost

Saint-Ouen Flea Market: What the Puces de Paris Actually Sell, and What Things Cost

Priya Menon

Walmart's Q4 Beat: $190.7 Billion in Revenue and What It Signals on Prices

Walmart's Q4 Beat: $190.7 Billion in Revenue and What It Signals on Prices

Priya Menon

How to Shop a Flower Market: Timing, Prices and the Stems Worth Carrying Home

How to Shop a Flower Market: Timing, Prices and the Stems Worth Carrying Home

Priya Menon

Store Closures in 2026: The Chains Cutting Locations and What It Means for Shoppers

Store Closures in 2026: The Chains Cutting Locations and What It Means for Shoppers

Priya Menon

What Things Actually Cost at Europe's Christmas Markets

What Things Actually Cost at Europe's Christmas Markets

Priya Menon

Holiday Sales Crossed $1 Trillion for the First Time — What the Numbers Say

Holiday Sales Crossed $1 Trillion for the First Time — What the Numbers Say

Priya Menon

Is the Tsukiji Outer Market Still Worth Your Time? What to Eat and What It Costs

Is the Tsukiji Outer Market Still Worth Your Time? What to Eat and What It Costs

Priya Menon