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Name the most costly sport in the world. You might think of equestrian or polo, or anything that is associated with royalty. However, if you think long and hard enough about it, the costliest sport in the world is shopping. Women especially view it as a competitive event where you can only say that you participated well if you were able to scour every little corner of every shop in the mall. The winner is either the one carrying the most bags or the one who had spent the most.

So do you want to have a heads up on the competition? You will have a built in advantage if you spend your money in one of the shops listed below. Here is a ranking of the top 10 most expensive stores in the United States based on the average money spent each visit.

10. Alexander McQueen, New York - $1,847 per visit

417 W 14th St, New York, NY 10014

Alexander McQueen is a fashion designer and couturier from the United Kingdom. He used to work as the chief designer of the Givenchy fashion house from 1996 to 2001. He later on established his own eponymous label. He has been chosen as the British Designer of the Year four times in 1996, 1997, 2001 and 2003. He was also the International Designer of the Year in 2003 as awarded by the Council of Fashion Designers of America. He is now a Commander of the British Empire.

9. Savannah, Santa Monica - $1,970 per visit

706 Montana Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90403

Savannah is a shop in Santa Monica in California that carries different luxury brands in its collection. Some of the names that it carries include Balenciaga, Caroline di Marchi, Celine, Dries van Noten, Jean Paul Knott, Jil Sander, Lanvin, Myriam Schaefer, Peter Cohen, Queen and Belle, R13, Stella McCartney, True Royal and Yves Solomon.

8. Blake, Chicago - $2,008 per visit

212 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60654

Blake is a shop in Chicago that offers cutting edge, highly innovative, fun, sexy and cool clothing. The shop carries products from the likes of Roland Mouret, Mary Katranzou and Thomas Wylde. The place is known for extremely high-end clothes, though the gorgeous items may justify the prices.

7. Brunello Cucinelli, New York - $2,032 per visit

379 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10014

Brunello Cucinelli is an Italian fashion house that offers Italian-made luxury goods. Aside from the flagship brand, it also owns the Rivamonti and Gunex lines. It takes pride in the fact that it is involved in the entire process, from the design and the manufacture of the clothes to the distribution and sales. It also works with over a thousand luxury brand clients. Aside from New York, the company also has stores in Europe, Russia and the Far East.

6. Chanel, New York - $2,155 per visit

737 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10065

Chanel is a high fashion French brand that specializes in haute couture. It also has a line of ready to wear clothes, as well as luxury goods and fashion accessories. It has dressed glamorous actresses through the years, from the likes of Catherine Deneuve and Carole Bouquet to Nicole Kidman, Audrey Tautou and Keira Knightley. The brand is particularly known for the little black dress, the perfume No. 5 de Chanel, and the Chanel suit. It made popular garments that were functional and flattering to a woman’s figure, replacing the old designs based on the corset.

5. Maxfield, West Hollywood - $2,258 per visit

8825 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90069

Maxfield is a shop on Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood, Los Angeles. It carries a variety of brands for its collections. For its women’s clothing, the shop has Chanel, Balmain, Rick Owens, Yves Saint Laurent, Celine, Msatermind Japan and Libertine. For men’s clothes, it has Givenchy and Carol Christian Poell, aside from the aforementioned names.

4. Akris, New York - $2,649 per visit

835 Madison Ave, Manhattan, NY 10021

Akris is a fashion label that specializes in luxury goods for women. Alice Kriemler Schoch established the shop in 1922 in St. Gallen in Switzerland. The company rarely advertises, relying instead on word of mouth. Some of its unique collections include the handbag with horsehair textile. It also has a collection that puts an emphasis on relaxed sportswear.

3. Loro Piana, Boston - $2,818 per visit

43 Newbury St, Boston, MA 02116

Loro Piana is a clothing company from Italy that specializes in high-end and luxury cashmere and wool products. Pietro Loro Piana founded the company in 1924. After the Second World War, his nephew, Franco, took over the reins and established it as a high fashion brand in the international market. In July 2013, an 80 percent stake of the company was bought by LVMH for 2 billion euros, the Loro Piana family retains the remaining 20 percent share.

2. Giorgio Armani, New York - $2,881 per visit

114 5th Avenue #17, New York

Giorgio Armani is a fashion designer from Italy. His fashion house is well known for its line of men’s clothing that is highlighted by clean and tailored lines. Armani himself has a long and successful partnership with the movie industry, after famously designing the clothes worn by Richard Gere in American Gigolo, and of the cast of The Untouchables that included Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, Robert de Niro and Andy Garcia. In 1990's, the fashion house expanded and started to carry items like sportswear, watches, eyeglasses, cosmetics, home collections and accessories.

1. Oscar de la Renta, New York - $3,217 per visit

772 Madison Avenue, New York,  New York 10065

Oscar de la Renta is one of the leading fashion designers in the world. A native of the Dominican Republic, he was trained by Cristobal Balenciaga before becoming popular as being one of the designers of Jacqueline Kennedy. He has also worked for Lanvin and Balmain. His creations for red carpet gowns and evening wear are highly sought after by celebrities and famous people.