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Residents of Melbourne take their shopping seriously and this is reflected in
the number of shopping arcades and markets dotted throughout the city. Some
of the arcades are architectural masterpieces in their own right. Melbourne
Central on Lonsdale Street has a magnificent glass cone covering the famous
Shot Tower, the only feature remaining from the Lead Pipe & Shot Factory.
There are over 200 shops, including many Australian designer outlets and the
Daimaru international department store. The Block Arcade, on Collins Street,
Melbourne's main shopping street, is a grand Victorian building, and this is
reflected in the shops that sell elegant leatherwear, glassware and couture.
Nearby is the Royal Arcade, which features antique and gift shops.
Linked by a footbridge to Melbourne Central is a city institution, Myer, established
over 80 years ago and the biggest single department store in Australia. Next
door is the new David Jones, a department store noted for its tempting food
hall. Many of the department stores stock typically Australian products and
the best goods to look out for are woollen garments, bush gear, handcrafted
jewellery (particularly opals), woodwork design and ceramics.
The exclusive shops along Toorak Road offer the latest designer labels, while
young, independent designers have outlets on Chapel Street. Crown Entertainment
Complex houses designer boutiques including Armani, Versace and Tiffany & Co.
Shoppers with more bohemian tastes will find Brunswick Street in Fitzroy a
veritable Aladdin's cave of clothing shops and gift and book stores. The cake
shops of St Kilda, a traditional German Jewish area, are a thing to behold;
the bayside suburb also features bookshops and trendy cafés.
Melbourne has a number of markets throughout the city, but the most outstanding
is the Queen Victoria Market on Victoria Street. This market was traditionally
a place to buy foodstuffs but it is now possible to buy almost anything in
the various halls and quaint shops.
Standard opening hours are 0900-1700 Monday to Saturday with late-night opening
on Fridays and, in many cases, Thursdays until 2100. Many major department
stores and shopping centres are also open on Sundays and a few supermarkets
are now open 24 hours a day.
On 1 July 2000, Australia's new 10% Goods and Services Tax came into force
with a resulting overnight increase in prices: price tags almost always include
the GST. There are several duty-free shops in the city centre, as well as at
the airport; shoppers must show their passport and onward ticket on collection
of goods.
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