Most capital cities offer good shopping and Auckland is no exception, but having a little insider knowledge never goes astray. I’ve spent many a day wandering the streets of Auckland and here I’ve come up with the best places to go to find that bargain or something unique. There are a great range of hotels in Auckland offering quality Auckland CBD accommodation to lay your shopping weary body after a hard day’s shopping.
Designer Shopping
Most of the designer shops are located in the Newmarket area where you’ll find internationally acclaimed local designers such as Karen Walker who features in the wardrobe of almost every female Hollywood star you can think of. Along with kiwi designers you’ll find all the international labels as well. Newmarket has the highest concentration of shoe shops in New Zealand with 24 of them crammed into the area. In between the chic boutiques and designer stores are a plethora of trendy cafes and upmarket restaurants and bars, so you’ll have no trouble recharging your batteries between bouts of shopping.
Markets
For an authentic Kiwi shopping experience visit the Otara Markets which celebrate the many varied cultures that make up the New Zealand cultural landscape. Here you can choose from arts, crafts, clothing, jewellery, fashion and authentic native food and fresh produce.
The Silo Markets are a favourite amongst locals and kick off on a Friday evening with pop up clothing stalls, food stalls and entertainment by local and international DJ’s. On Saturday the fun continues with vintage clothing, contemporary art and an eclectic mix of food stalls. Bring the kids along, grab a bite to eat and take a walk along the picturesque Auckland Harbour waterfront.
Outlet Shopping
Dress-smart is New Zealand’s largest outlet mall and brings all of your favourite brands (and plenty you’ve never heard of) under the one roof. Be prepared to spend big and save big here as the bargains are plentiful and hard to resist. Other outlet stores are dotted around the city suburbs but Dress-Smart, with everything under the same roof, is the easiest way to outlet shop. If Outlet shopping is your thing, staying the night at one of the nearby Auckland Airport hotels is probably the easiest and best value option.
Shopping Malls
The newest of the Auckland shopping malls, Sylvia Park is the largest and arguably the best mall in New Zealand. So large they publish their own fashion magazine, the mall is home to over 200 stores selling fashion, gifts, home wares, books and more. The Mall also has a movie theatre and a great range of dining options.
Other malls worthy of a visit are St Lukes, Glenfield Mall, Henderson Mall and Shore City.
Shopping Tours
If all of this information is too much for you to handle you can always let someone else do the hard work for you and jump onboard a shopping tour. There are a number of tour operators out there… some better than others. Do some Googling and visit their websites to see what they have on offer.
No matter what style of shopping you enjoy or what you’re looking for, Auckland is guaranteed to have it. The great range of Auckland CBD accommodation and excellent Auckland Airport Hotels mean you’re sure to find somewhere to rest at the right price for you. Charge your credit card and start shopping. UK CBD Oil