There’s nothing like a bit of Sydney shopping and retail therapy to make your day better, and Sydney’s renowned for being one of the best places in the world to shop. Whether it’s high end fashion, large retail chains or quirky little stores with one-off pieces, Sydney’s got it all. So where do you even start? Lucky for you, we’ve curated a list of some of the best shopping precincts in the area, so check it out below!
CBD SYDNEY SHOPPING:
Pitt St Mall
Pitt St Mall encompasses the Mid City Shopping Centre, Westfield Sydney shopping and the Glasshouse. It includes Sydney’s largest retail chains such as Myer and David Jones, and is the most cosmopolitan shopping precinct in the city with a wide range of stores such as Ted Baker, Zara, Topshop, GAP and UNIQLO.
Location: Pitt St, Sydney CBD
Opening Hours: 9am – 6pm on weekdays & Sat, 11am – 5pm Sun, 9am – 9pm Thurs.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Queen Victoria Building and Strand Arcade
Located in the heart of Sydney’s CBD, Queen Victoria Building and The Strand aren’t just architecturally stunning buildings that were built over a hundred years ago. They also have some of the best high-end designer boutiques, branded stores, and bonus: delicious chocolate cafes!
Location: 455 George St, Sydney CBD
Opening hours: 9am – 6pm Weekdays, 9am – 9pm Thurs, 10am – 4pm Weekends.
Rating: 4.3 out of 5
Broadway Shopping Centre
There are over 200 speciality and retail stores inside this gorgeous building, you’re sure to find something for everyone. There’s plenty of restaurants, a cinema and supermarkets too.
Location: 1 Bay St, Ultimo (Close to Sydney CBD)
Opening Hours: 10am – 7pm Weekdays, 10am – 9pm Thurs, 9am – 6pm Sat, 10am – 6pm Sun.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
INNER SYDNEY SHOPPING:
Darling St in Balmain
Enjoy a nice walk down Darling St in Balmain offering the perfect mix of cafes and quirky bookshops and boutiques. The long stretch has many cool fashion, homeware and antique shops – you’re definitely not going to leave empty handed.
Location: Darling St, Balmain (Inner City suburb)
Opening Hours: Most shops open every day, most shops close at between 5-6pm on weekdays.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Paddington’s Oxford St
A must-visit for fashion lovers! Oxford Street is one of the best fashion precincts for Sydney shopping, with some of the best designers brands and stores. It also has a great range of book stores, eccentric jewellery shops and cute laneway style stores with little bits and bobs.
Location: Stretches from Paddington to Hyde Park (Inner City)
Opening Hours: Open every day from 10am
Rating: 4.8 out of 5
The Intersection on Glenmore Road
If you’re visiting Oxford St, don’t forget to check out the stores on Glenmore Road too! Some of the best fashion items are often found in the hideaway shops down these streets. Definitely one of the most stylish and edgiest suburbs with exclusive high quality stores.
Location: Corner of Glenmore and Oxford St, Paddington
Opening Hours: Open daily, most shops close around 5pm
Rating: 4.8 out of 5
Crown St in Surry Hills
Surry Hills’ Crown St has some of the best little vintage clothing stores and antique-decorative shops with lots of unique items. You can even browse through the many second-hand op shops, you never know what you could find while. If you happen to be there on the first Saturday of the month, make sure to check out the Sydney shopping markets as well.
Location: Crown St, Surry Hills (Inner Sydney suburb)
Opening hours: Open daily from 10am
Rating: 4 out of 5
Newton’s King St
Unleash your inner hipster and wander around on Newtown’s famous King St; take in the edgy graffiti art, observe the occasional busker and scour through the vintage book shops, little boutiques and indie record stores. There’s plenty of amazing cafes and restaurants running along the strip as well.
Location: King St, Newtown (15 minute walk from Sydney CBD)
Opening Hours: Open daily from 10am, most shops close around 6pm
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
NORTHERN SYDNEY SHOPPING:
Birkenhead Point Outlet Centre
Shop high-end fashion on a budget at Sydney’s largest outlet centre, with priceless waterside views at the same time. Birkenhead Point is a personal favourite of mine, offering a range of top brands such as Oroton, Diana Ferrari, Nike, Converse, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger and so much on more: all on sale.
Located: 19 Roseby St, Drummoyne. Just 15 minutes by car from the CBD.
Opening Hours: 10am – 5:30pm Weekdays, 10am – 7:30pm Thurs, 10am – 6pm Weekends
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Macquarie Shopping Centre
The recent uplift Macquarie Centre has had makes it the perfect Sydney shopping centre, whether you want to visit department stores or more designer brands. With new stores such as Sydney’s only H&M store, Zara, Forever 21, MAC, SABA, and a brand new Sephora store opening soon! It even has its very own ice rink, for when you want to take a break from all the shopping.
Location: 17 Herring Road, North Ryde
Opening Hours: 9:30am – 6pm Weekdays, 9:30am – 9pm Thurs, 10am – 6pm Weekends
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
And there you have it! From branded fashion, shoes and jewellery, vintage books and records and some of the nicest cafes, these are some of our favourite weekend spots to go Sydney shopping. If you’re itching to spend, these retail department stores, high-brow fashion boutiques and edgy antique-type stores with special one-offs make up some of the best Sydney shopping day outs.
– Anvi Sharma
Anvi is a university student, currently studying media with an interest in fashion, pop culture, films and music. Follow her on Instagram: burnitdowns.
For more Sydney shopping hot-spots, check out they City of Sydney’s Shopping Streets and Shopping Precincts.
