London: Its pencil skirts and cashmere cardigans are firm favourites with the likes of Michelle Obama and Angelina Jolie.

So British shoppers should have been delighted when J Crew opened its first European flagship store in London on Thursday. Instead, they were astonished — because the prices are up to three times higher than in the US, for exactly the same items.

Almost all the clothes and accessories in the new Regent Street store are on sale for the same amount of pounds as dollars, meaning a $350 (£219, Dh1,285) black blazer is retailing at £350 (Dh2,058) — an increase of 60 per cent.

But some are being sold at a far greater mark-up, including a silk shirtdress which is on the US website at a special price of $99.99 (£63) before tax, but in the London shop for more than three times as much at £198.

The US prices do not include tax, which varies by state, but it is usually between 5 and 10 per cent of the sale price.

Overpriced

Some prices in the Regent Street store at its launch were even higher than on J Crew’s UK website. A dress from the shop’s Collection range was £450 in store but £375 online — or $375 (£234) from the US site.

Shoppers who queued to be first into the London store were angry to discover they had paid over the odds. American schoolteacher Daphne Shoesmith, 48, had visited hoping there would be UK-exclusive lines but was horrified by the prices.

“It’s shocking that it’s cheaper in the States,” she said. “I’m going to return the shoes I bought and get some when I get back if it’s less expensive.”

One shopper wrote on Twitter: ‘J Crew kids is adorable but same price in GBP as it is in USD is a no go for me!’

While another said: ‘J Crew looking nice on Regent Street. Price hike from the States a bit cheeky though.’

But the company defended the prices, saying they reflected the “materials and craftsmanship involved” and the levels of taxes, duties and operational charges.

A spokesman said: “It is an inescapable fact that these costs in the UK are significantly higher than in the US. There are not many products that don’t vary in price from country to country. It is simply a fact of life.”