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Sydney Shopping Introduction

Reminiscent of downtown Toronto, the layout of Sydney's most popular shopping area (centred around Pitt Street) allows visitors to shop in comfort come rain or shine. Indeed, with a series of walkways and subways that link together department stores and malls, even seasoned shoppers will have problems keeping their credit cards at bay.

In the Central Business District (CBD) an entire block is taken up by the painstakingly restored Queen Victoria Building - a late 19th century, purpose built shopping centre (which now plays host to a fine selection of upscale boutiques), while the Strand Arcade is home to many of Australia's top designers, along with jewellers, boutiques and beauty salons that cater for well-heeled locals and tourists alike.

As well as Sydney's longest bar with an open-air terrace offering fine views of the city, Skygarden mixes leading fashion names with a wide-range of homewares, plus one of the city's largest bookstores in Borders. Adjacent to the centre are Westfield Centrepoint, Sydney Central Plaza (linked together by an aerial walkway) and Imperial Arcade, which are now jointly promoted on the Internet as P ittstop.

Other shopping areas in the vicinity include the Glasshouse and the MLC Centre, while two blocks east of Castlereagh Street lies the art-deco influenced Chifley Plaza and Tower (found on the square of the same name).

Other shopping areas worth-checking include Mosman (on the North Shore) and Double Bay, known in the 80s and 90s as Sydney's most exclusive shopping district. In addition, Chatswood has a number of general shopping centers, including a large Westfield mall, while Parramatta is home to the largest mall in Australia.

So far as department stores are concerned, the two big names in Sydney are Myer and David Jones, with the latter being the oldest department store in the world still trading under its original name. Myer also has a heritage dating back to 1899, with its founder (Sydney Myer) having arrived in Australia as a penniless Russian immigrant before going on to create one of the country's largest retail businesses.

It's also worth noting that Sydney has several Duty Free Shops, each selling goods at a significant discount. Of course, you'll need a passport and flight ticket to grab a bargain (or two) with stores located in the Strand Arcade (412 Pitt Street, Tel: (+61 2) 9233 3166) and Sydney International Airport.

Generally, shops in Sydney are open from 9am-6pm Monday to Friday, though in a number of downtown shopping centres later opening hours apply (usually from 10am). In addition, the practice of late-night shopping on Thursdays is widespread, with many downtown stores staying open until 9pm. On Saturdays, stores tend to start trading from 9am to 5 or 5.30pm, while shorter hours apply on Sunday (10 or 10.30am to 4pm).

Almost all outlets accept major credit cards along with Maestro or Cirrus debit cards. Note, however, that American Express and JCB cards seem less popular with many shop owners.

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