Brisbane Shopping Tips by thedouglas

Name of Shop: Market - Ambience all the way!

This amazing market is on every Saturday - starting from as early as you can get up - until mid afternoon. There is a smaller market on Sundays, but Saturday is the major market. There are many restaurants serving breakfast-brunch-lunch etc. through the main mall where the market is held, live music entertainment, and plenty of things to look at, buy or just watch the people go by.

The range of stalls is much wider than most weekend markets - antique and bric-a-brac, ineresting books, old and new, CD's and old vinyl records, plants, young new designer clothes or the much more interesting retro options - or new fashion made out old resurrections - 70's bedsheets and chenille bedspreads never looked so good! Oh - and you'll quickly realise the value of dad's old safari suit sitting as a nasty joke of the 70's, in the back of the wardrobe at granny's!

There are also plenty of handicraft stalls, many of which are interesting and different, if not frankly quirky! There are also stalls, which often extend beyond the primary mall, selling a host of mass produced Asian imports, including knock-off jeans etc.

This is probably the area of Brisbane where you can most easily see the full cosmopolitan representation of our city - from the homeless, uni students, young workers, trendy young ones who align with groups like Imo, individuals in all sorts of ways and the middle class and beyond conservatives, who love to get down into the Valley for the great shopping as well as the market itself.

What To Buy: Used and individually crafted clothing, original arts and crafts, vintage books, jewellery, antique collectables, DVD's and CD's - and some old vinyls. You will see the best range of daggy 70's and 80's clothing resurrected as expensive and trendy here - so safari suits and body shirts live on! Chenille bedspread fashioned into clothing! - aaaagh, but looks very soft and comfy!

What To Pay: A little or a lot!

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Theme: Other
Address: Chinatown, Fortitude Valley

Name of Shop: Lantern Market and Day Market all Weekend

This market operates from Friday night - for the lantern market - through Saturday and Sunday at the Southbank Parklands. Although not nearly as large as they have been in the past, they have high quality handcrafted items, and are well worth the stroll for visitors to the city. The markets provide yet another activity for those who visit the large Southbank Parklands complex. Whether coming for a restaurant meal, or a swim and a picnic, there is something for most people at Southbank.

What To Buy: Handcrafted clothing, ceramics, soaps, good quality Australian souvenirs and many many more items, which often vary from month to month.


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Theme: Local Craft
Address: Southbank Parklands

Name of Shop: Arcade with a historical link and a tale

Patrick Mayne, a wealthy butcher-cum-landowner, who I have written about elsewhere - was a despised man in Brisbane, due to the rumours of his insanity, depravity and murder to obtained his initial investment money - I dare you not to read about him now!

Mayne commissioned the now Brisbane Arcade in 1853, as a two storey building, with a dwelling upstairs and glass fronted shop and coach house below. The current site of the Colorado store is believed to have been his original butcher shop. It was here that his last 3 children, William, James and Emelia, were born, and where he made his deathbed confession of murder in 1865. The arcade has always had shops on both the Queen and Adelaide Street faces, and served as a thoroughfare between the streets.

After his death, the Mayne children inherited the site, and, in 1921 Dr James had Richard Gailey Jr design a conversion to the building, paving the way for a 3 storey traditional European style arcade. It was completed in 1923 and cost 70,000 pounds. The basic structure has not changed since that time. The original arcade housed 20 shops in the central gallery area, and an additional 20 shops + offices were on the mezzanine level.

The Edwardian facade remains unchanged, and Brisbane Arcade can still be clearly read. The terrazzo stores at either end are original, as are the ballustradings and panelling in this beautiful little centre. The roof consists of light weight steel trusses and natural light filters through the clerestory spaces. The arcade was Heritage listed in 1992.

Brisbane Arcade is a hub of young clothing designers, bridal and accessories stores, and well known for jewellery stores and high quality goods.

There is an annual sale here in January, where great bagains can be got - we once bought a silk skirt and bustier for $100 - original price over $700. Throwaways I am happy to have! For those who sew, the designers sell a great amount of fabrics, buttons and adornments at this sale as well.



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Theme: Women's Clothes

Name of Shop: Westfield Indooroopilly - My shopping centre

This large shopping centre, situated in the western suburbs, has grown over the years, and now houses 4 department stores - Myer, KMart, Target and Harvey Norman, Woolworths supermarket, and a couple of hundred specialty stores. It has become a growing trend for exercise walkers to walk from end to end of the 3 floors before business hours - covering a total of almost 5 klms. Sheltered and safe environment for group exercise! There is a large gymnasium in the building now, located close to the foodcourt. A fourth floor has a large multiplex cinema and library.

If you live or stay in the Western suburbs, this shopping centre has it all.

What To Buy: Anything from your groceries, everyday needs and gifts.


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Theme: Other

Name of Shop: Myer Center, Queen Street Mall

This is the hub of shopping in Brisbane - with this extensive mall hosting 6 major shopping centres, as well as an array of other stores in between.

Queens Plaza - stage 1 opened in 2005, and a whole new range of designer and specialty stores have come to Brisbane, such as Tiffany Jewelery, Max Mara, Louis Vuitton relocated from Adelaide street, and the revamped David Jones store is included in this site. 5 floors with 90 specialty stores and a large food court to get lost (or broke) in.

Broadway on the Mall - 2 levels + a food court, specialises in clothing and accessories, many of which are for the young - such as the exclusive Bessie Head - not for the faint hearted or empty pocketed! There is a large Harvey Normal store at the top, and an outlet for the Pancake Manor - a family favourite!

The Myer Centre - 5 floors of shopping + a food court. Over 200 stores are held in here - such as Just Jeans, ABC Shop, Body Shop, Colorado Bags, Australian Geographic, Post Office, jewellery stores and many other clothing, accessory and souvenir outlets. There is also a cinema complex in the top level of the centre. All floors feed into the newly refitted Myer store.

The Wintergarden - another 2 level plus a foodcourt shopping centre, housing some exclusive clothing and accessories stores - Midas shoes, Cue, Mambo, RM Williams, Lisa Ho and many more.

Brisbane Arcade - the beautiful tiled 1923 arcade built by the Mayne family, which had traditionally been the location for many trendy young and well established clothes designers - such as Anthony Lee Dower (brilliant short designer who cater for short girls), bridal shops and exclusive shoe and jewellery stores - Robert White in particular - famed for making Elton John's engagement ring for Renata! My favourite haunt - especially during the January mega sale time - when the designers flog off their leftover clothing and fabrics.

Queen Adelaide Building - originally built as convict barracks, now ingeniously recrafted into a shopping centre, with many specialty shops.

What To Buy: Whatever your heart desires.

What To Pay: Depends on the budget - a little to a very very lot!

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Theme: Other
Address: Queen Street - heart of the city.

Name of Shop: Myer Center, Queen Street Mall

This centre is the largest in the southern hemisphere, as of a few years ago. It boats 6 levels of shopping, cinema and foodcourt facilities. There are more than 200 stores in the complex, including Target as well as Myer department stores. Best and Less, a budget clothing store is also in the centre. A smal Coles supermarket is on the ground floor.

There is a multitude of specialty stores of varying sizes - ABC Shop, Australian Geographic store, Canterbury, other Australian souvenir stores, many many clothing, shoes and accessories shops, jewellery, gifts, beauty etc.

The Myer Centre also offers free delivery service to inner city hotels.

What To Buy: Almost anything you could ever look for.

What To Pay: A little to a lot - depending on your budget and taste!

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Theme: Other

Name of Shop: Pristine new shopping centre mid city

This is the newest addition to the Queen Street Mall, built on the site of the thankfully deconstructed original David Jones store. In addition to the new and much more user friendly DJ's, is a range of specialty stores - largely clothing and accessories. Many of the designer label stores, such as LV, have relocated from Elizabeth Street to this more central one-stop shopping location. One does wonder how many Tiffany's customers Brisbane actually has, but that's one of the new stores as well.

Generally, the stores in this centre are a "cut above" those housed in the Myer Centre, so there's a certain compliment between the two.

What To Buy: Largely clothing and accessories, as well as the single department store.

What To Pay: A lot!

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Theme: Other
Address: Queen Street Mall

Name of Shop: Travel Shops - Outdoor clothing and needs

If there is anything you need for travel, particularly adventure range items, head for Wickham Street, Fortitude Valley. Conveniently situated in one street most of the best stores - Mountain Design, K2, Paddy Palin, Silk Road and the Scout Shop - and a few minutes down the road in Ann Street is a huge fairly new Kathmandu store.

Having all of these stores clustered makes it easy to compare products and prices. There's also a discount outlet for Mountain Design supeceded stock tucked around the corner. This is usually where I start!

There are smaller stores in the city, but the range and availability of reduced price items is mugh greater in the Valley stores.

What To Buy: Any outdoor travelling needs


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Theme: Other
Address: Wickham and Ann Streets, Fortitude Valley

Name of Shop: Miscellaneous Souvenir Stores

There are about 4 fairly large souvenir stores in the Queen Street Mall - from one end to the other. They have relatively similar stock, some of which is more or less kitsch variety of goods. But, some of the stuff is actually quite nice and of reasonable quality. A particular favourite of the kids' is the cane toad purses - or keyrings with a toad leg!



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Theme: Other
Address: Queen Street Mall

Name of Shop: Ekka R M Store

If you want some iconic Australian clothing or leather accessories from R M Williams, the best place to get this is at the Ekka! There is a large R M store in the Queen Street Mall, where you can get the full priced items, but, the large tent shop at the Ekka is by far the best way to get a bargain.

My husband and I both have yearling Craftsman (best style) boots from the Ekka, purchased for about half the full price - which is about $300 now. While they are basically "seconds", mine has just a small nick in a fairly invisible place, and do not diminish the standard or durability of the boots.

Best to get in early, on the first day or two of the Ekka, as the stock goes quickly. The smart people, in the know - ie. the country folk - are there on the first day, which is cattle judging day. This is a good day to come to the Ekka anyway - if you are interested in the "real deal" Ekka - minus all the townies there for sideshow alley - and looking more at the business of the country.

What To Buy: There are hundreds of shirts, jeans, jackets, t-shirts, belts, shoes and boots, belts, bags, caps etc.

What To Pay: Usually ranges between half and a third of the full price - well worth the venture.

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Directions: The tent (pictured) is situated near all of the display pavillions, just where you cross the road between the main pavillion and behind the main ring.