Sydney, Australia Hotels and City Guide

Sydney - Shopping

Bargain hunters and fashionistas can rejoice: Sydney is a world-class shopping destination. From international chain-stores to upscale designer boutiques, and from to factory outlets to markets selling Aboriginal goods, you can find it all in Sydney. Sydney is also an up-and-coming fashion hub: top Aussie designers like Wayne Cooper, Akira Isogawa, Lisa Ho, and Easton Pearson are transforming Australia into a top fashion center, and many designers are seeing their labels in boutiques and stores in the United States, Europe, and Asia.

Shop early in the day when in Sydney. Most shops are open Monday through Friday from 9:00am to 5:00pm. Many stores stay open until 9:00pm on Thursdays. Saturday hours are typically 9:00am to 4:00pm, and many stores are closed on Sundays.

Sydney's Shopping Districts

High-end designs can be found in the beautiful Queen Victoria Building(QVB) on George Street. Recently revamped to reveal its stunning architecture, the QVB offers 190 specialty and designer stores. The expensive price tags come with some of the best architecture in the city, and shoppers can enjoy lunch at one of the cafes or restaurants. Visit the Strand Arcade, from Pitt Street Mall to George Street, the Skygarden between Pitt Street Mall and Castlereagh Street, or the Chatswood Chase mall for some of Australia’s best designs. If nothing else, the window shopping is fabulous.

Shoppers with a more modest budget can check out the deals at DFO, near Olympic Park. Here you will find brand names with less intimidating price tags. Another must is Birkenhead Point, an enormous factor outlet where you can get great quality for a lower price. You can also visit the Westfield Shopping Centre, Piccadilly’s, Grace Brothers, and David Jones, and Centrepoint. The diversity of Sydney’s shopping opportunities can be seen in the George Street and Central Business District areas. Shop for Hermes or hand-me-downs within the same district.

For a more casual shopping experience, visit one of Sydney’s wonderful weekend markets. These are usually held outdoors, at a church or school, and feature used treasures, trinkets, knick-knacks, crafts, house wares, and much more. A good one to try: Paddy’s Markets. These are the biggest in the city. You can find new items, excellent, fresh local produce, and best of all, incredible prices. Many retailers use the Paddy's Markets to sell overstock, so you can get some great quality items for very little money. At the Glebe Markets, you can find “pre-loved” clothing and arts and crafts items. Don’t forget about food: you can buy some of the delicious snacks and have a picnic nearby. This is worth looking around; great deals can be found by those who look! The markets at Bondi, Balmain, and Rozelle are great for second-hand clothes, antiques, and knick-knacks: these are perfect places to do your gift shopping.

Tax Refunds

Foreign visitors to Sydney can get a tax refund on their purchases before leaving the country. Those who spend more than $300 at a single store that participates in Global Tax Refund and purchase their items no more than 30 days before their departure, can claim a refund at the airport.

Here is how it works: when you buy $300 in merchandise from a single vendor (either in one trip to the store or several), ask for a voucher or refund receipt. If you go to the store several times, ask your cashier to consolidate your receipts onto a single voucher. The receipt will clearly state that it is a “Tax Invoice,” and will list the retailers Australian Business Number (ABN), a description of the goods, amount paid, including GST, and the date you made your purchase(s).

Your refund amount is determined by dividing the total of the purchase by 11. The Tourist Refund Scheme (TRS) refunds the goods and service tax (GST) and the wine equalization tax (WET), if you buy wine to bring home. If you bought, for instance, $500 in merchandise, your refund would be $45.45. If you bought wine, you are refunded 14.5 percent of the price you paid. So if you bought $300 worth of wine, you could receive a refund of $43.50.

To claim your refund, you must leave Australia within 30 days of purchase, carry or wear the items, and have your original tax receipt and travel documents ready for confirmation by the Customs agents at the airport or seaport. You can then receive a refund in the form of a check, credit to an Australian bank account, or as a credit on a credit card. There are some restrictions on items that are eligible for the refund. If you have any questions, check with the TRS site on the Australian Customs webpage.

Hotels in Sydney, Australia