The rectangle bounded by Elizabeth, King, York and Park streets is Sydney's prime shopping area, with a number of beautifully restored
Victorian arcades
and the main
department stores
. The city also has plenty of sparkling shopping complexes where you can hunt for fashion and accessories without raising a sweat. Still in the centre, The Rocks is packed with Australiana and
souvenir shops
, where you can satisfy the urge to buy boomerangs, didgeridoos and stuffed toy koalas, and it's also the best place for duty- and GST-free shopping.
Paddington
is best for stylish one-stop shopping, with its enticing array of designer shops, funky fashion, some of the city's most appealing bookshops - and the best weekend market in town. The more avant-garde
Darlinghurst
and
Surry Hills
(notably the stretch of Crown Street between Devonshire and Oxford streets) have become a focus for retro-influenced interior design and clothes shops. In the inner west,
Balmain
has chic shops and gourmet delis to supplement its Saturday market, while cheerfully grungy
Newtown
and neighbouring St Peters are great for secondhand fashions and quirky speciality stores. Down at the beach,
Bondi Pavilion
has an excellent souvenir shop, and the Campbell Parade strip offers lots of beachwear and surf shops.
Finally, if you've run out of time to buy presents and souvenirs, the revamped
Sydney Airport
has one of the biggest shopping malls in Sydney, with outlets for everything from surfwear to R. M. Williams bushoutfitters, at the same prices as downtown stores.
The main sales happen immediately post-Christmas and in August, although there are also stock clearances throughout the year, often around public holidays.
Opening hours
Most stores are open Monday to Saturday from 9am or 10am until 5.30pm or 6pm, with late-night shopping on Thursdays until 9pm.
Many of the larger shops and department stores are also open on Sunday from 10am or noon until 4pm or 5pm, as are most malls...
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Books
In addition to the small selection of places listed below, there is a concentration of
secondhand bookshops
on King Street in Newtown, and New South Head Road in Double Bay.
Berkelouws
, 19 Oxford St, Paddington. Bus #378,...
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Clothes and accessories
For interesting
fashion
to suit a range of budgets, Oxford Street in Paddington is the place, along with the glitzy Sydney Central Mall in the city. With more time to explore, take a stroll down Crown Street, near the junction with Oxford...
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Food and drink
The handiest
supermarkets
for the city centre are Woolworths Metro, opposite the Town Hall (Mon-Wed 7am-8pm, Thurs & Fri 7am-9pm, Sat 9am-6.30pm, Sun 10am-5.30pm), and Coles Express, in the Wynyard station complex (daily 6am-midnight); the...
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Galleries
Sydney's diverse arts scene is reflected in a myriad of
small art galleries,
which are concentrated in Paddington and Surry Hills, with a few smaller ones in King Street, Newtown. The useful
Guide and Map to Art Galleries in Paddington...
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Malls and department stores
Australia has followed the American trend in shopping and you're bound to find yourself in mall-land at some stage. Although lacking in neighbourhood character, big city and suburban malls and department stores are handy for familiarizing yourself with...
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Markets
Weekend markets have become a feature of the leisurely lives of Sydneysiders, so be prepared for crowds. The best for general browsing are the trendy Paddington Bazaar, the more arty Balmain market and the relaxed market on Glebe Point Road. Apart from...
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Music
Tyranny of distance has traditionally kept many big-name bands from including Sydney on their world tours. As a result, perhaps, there is fierce loyalty here to home-grown music. In addition to specialist
Australian music
shops, you'll find a...
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