12 best cities for shopping in India and overseas

The best markets and shopping streets are a window to the city's culture, and history. (Photo: Guduru Ajay Bhargav via Pexels)

Tokyo topped the list of the world’s 10 ultimate shopping destinations, based on the number of shopping malls, boutiques, department stores and designer outlets, according to a 2022 study by Hey Discount, an online platform to find the latest deals and offers from brands. London and Paris took the second and third place, respectively.

Let’s look at the world’s 12 best shopping destinations.

Tokyo (Japan): 1,970 shopping locations, 240 fashion shops within a mile, 240 fashion malls within a mile, 240 boutique stores within a mile and 149 top designers/brands in the city.

Tokyo takes the ‘shop till you drop dead’ adage pretty seriously. Centered around Shinjuku Station, the busiest train station in the world, Shinjuku is one of the largest shopping and entertainment districts in the city. Ginza and Roppongi have ultra-luxe shops; Nihonhashi has traditional goods and local food; Shibuya is the birthplace of youth fashion; Harajuku has two parallel shopping streets: Omotesando, known as Tokyo's Champs-Elysees, is a tree-lined avenue with upscale boutiques, cafes and several leading designer brand shops, and Takeshita Dori is a centre of counter-culture.

(Photo by Aleksandar Pasaric via Pexels)

London (UK): With 1,221 shopping locations, shopping in London is hard to beat.

Oxford Street, the city’s famed shopping street, has more than 300 shops; Regent Street has a range of mid-priced fashion stores alongside some of the city's oldest and most famous shops; St James is renowned for its high-end fashion and art boutiques, some of which even have the royal seal of approval; Bond Street and Mayfair offer retail therapy and celeb spotting; Westfield has two major shopping centres in London: White City and Stratford, with more than 250 shops each, and over 80 places to grab a bite; Carnaby has an interesting mix of independent boutiques, heritage brands; Covent Garden is coveted for hip fashion, unique gifts, rare sweets and exclusive handmade jewellery.

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(Photo by Ben Kirby via Unsplash)

Paris (France): The French capital has 1,116 shopping locations. There are luxury designer boutiques, car showrooms and haute couture showrooms on the mile-long Champs-Élysées; Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré boasts over 40 designer boutiques and showrooms; lying just beyond the city outskirts La Vallée Village has a sprawling discount designer fashion outlet mall; Galeries Lafayette and Au Printemps Haussmann, two legendary 19th century department stores are on Boulevard Haussmann; Palais Royal Garden has nearly 40 boutique shops; Les Halles is the place to shop for kitchenware.

Galeries Lafayette (Ricardo Antoniassi via Pexels)

Singapore: With 751 shopping locations, Singapore ranks fourth in the best shopping cities list.

Whether you’re looking to buy high-street fashion or splurge on sparkling bling, Orchard Road is a must-visit destination. World-class malls and luxury brands abound on Singapore’s most iconic shopping belt. Mandarin Gallery, Ion Orchard and Paragon stock a plethora of luxury labels and global brands, while street fashion abounds at malls like Far East Plaza. To discover what Singapore’s craftsmen have to offer, drop by Tangs and Design Orchard. Heartland malls like Tampines 1, Jem and Westgate boast a diverse range of retail, fashion and lifestyle stores while Mustafa Centre stocks everything - from gadgets to groceries.

Sky Garden, Singapore (Alix Lee via Unsplash)

Hong Kong: Hong Kong has 557 shopping locations including chain stores, malls, boutiques and local designers.

Queen’s Road Central holds mainly big labels and fast fashion; walk along Peel Street and Elgin Street and down to Gough Street for small boutiques; IFC is one of the biggest malls; Yiu Wa Street (just behind Times Square) is full of boutiques, and many of them are small vintage stores; Cityplaza is the main shopping mall in the Causeway Bay; Stanley Plaza is a must-visit mall and Tung Chung has outlet malls. Shopping in Kowloon is not for the faint-hearted – there are so many shops, it can leave one dizzy. Granville Road is the place to go for reasonably priced fashion while Nathan and Chatham Roads are spilling with shops.

(Photo: Jimmy Chan via Pexels)

Dubai: Going to Dubai during the annual Shopping Festival is like a pilgrimage for every shopaholic. No one ever wants to miss it. The city, however, is a year-round shopping destination.

Gold Souk is for all gold lovers; go to the Ripe Market, an outdoor market with homegrown goods, food and crafts; City Walk is a carefully curated open-air collection of stores, boutiques, restaurants and entertainment attractions; La Mer and The Beach at JBR are great options for combining sun, sand and shopping; for a combination of traditional architecture and cutting-edge commerce, head to Souk Madinat Jumeirah and Souk Al Bahar; check out The Fashion Vault at Sunset Mall on Jumeirah Beach Road; Dubai Design District is a centre for fashion creators with sleek boutiques and concept stores. For local art, explore Alserkal Avenue and don't miss The Dubai Mall.

(Photo by Ian and Wendy Sewell via Wikimedia Commons 2.5)

New York (USA): With 1,133 shopping locations, New York entices the rich and the ones with small pockets. SoHo (South of Houston Street) that spans 25 blocks is home to some of the best shopping in New York City. If you have deep pockets, look no further than Fifth Avenue, a legendary shopping area, and then hop over to Madison Avenue for added luxury; Nolita (North of Little Italy) offers some of the trendiest shopping in Manhattan; so does Bleeker Street in the West Village. Take time out for Flatiron District and Union Square. And do not feel shy to enter thrift stores. It is only in New York that you will find a Gucci loafer and a Chanel bag lying in plastic crates with a minimum price tag.

(Photo: Jimmy Teoh via Pexels)

Madrid (Spain): Gran Via, the city’s main thoroughfare, is also the shopping hub with countless high-end shops; Calle Fuencarral is considered by many as Madrid’s hub of modern fashion; along with Calle del Carmen and Calle Arenal, Calle Preciados, a pedestrian-only street, is one of the city’s most important commercial areas; Calle Serrano is a luxury shopping area while El Rastro is a 400-year old flea market. San Miguel Market is a historic covered market; Mercado de La Paz was established in 1882 while Mercado de Maravillas is one of the largest municipal markets in Europe.

(Photo: Jo Kassis via Pexels)

Bangkok (Thailand): If you are shopping in Bangkok, get ready to pay for excess baggage on your return flight. It has everything – from eclectic multi-level Bangkok shopping malls to traditional Thai night markets and street stalls. The largest shopping malls are in the Siam Square with Siam Center, Siam Paragon and CentralWorld as the most popular ones; MBK Center is not as swank as Siam Square but options galore and you will not have to loosen the purse-strings too much. Platinum Fashion Mall has retail and wholesale stores while Union Mall is the favourite with budget travellers. In the same location since 1942, Chatuchak Market is one of the world’s largest open-air markets and has everything under the sun. This one can tire you sore, so set aside a day for Chatuchak Market.

(Photo: Oleksandr Pidvalny via Pexels)

Istanbul (Turkey): With 4,000 merchants within the ancient bazaar, The Grand Bazaar (Kapali Carsi) is the one-stop shopping destination. Haggle as much as you can. Be careful of your belongings. Kanyon, Metrocity and Akmerkez in the Levent district; the Istinye Park in Maslak, the Cevahir in Mecidiyekoy are the most popular shopping malls in Istanbul. Street Markets: Thursday Market in Ortakoy, Saturday Markets in Besiktas and Ferikoy (Sisli), Sunday Market in Kasimpasa (Beyoglu) on the European side, and Tuesday Market in Kadikoy on the Asian Side are worth a visit.

The Grand Bazaar (Kapali Carsi) in Istanbul (Photo: Merve via Pexels)

In India

Delhi (India): From the swanky Emporio Mall to the old-fashioned Old Delhi bazaar, light on the pocket street-style and export-seconds to the annual Surajkund Mela and the perennially popular Dilli Haat, Delhi is a shopper’s delight – no matter how gigantic or slim your wallet. For generations, brides-to-be with their mothers have flown into Old Delhi and combed the bylanes of Chandni Chowk and Karol Bagh for trousseau while fast-fashion has flourished in Sarojini Nagar, Janpath, Pallika Bazaar and Connaught Place. On streets, haggle as much as you can; in swanky shops, get ready to feel like royalty – and spend like one. Select City, DLF Emporio, DLF Promenade are the popular mall options.

(Photo: Rahul Sapra in Pexels)

Hyderabad (India): Bangles in Laad Bazaar; sarees, Hyderabadi khada dupattas, sherwanis in Char Minar Bazaar; exotic fruits in Moazzam Jahi Market; tobacco in Begum Bazaar; junk jewellery in Koti Market; clothes, footwear, bangles, bags and wallets, jewellery in Nampally; handicrafts, fabrics from all around the country in Shilparamam, perfume in Perfume Market, saree in Abids Street, antiques and Bidri craft in Antique Market, cheap utensils, clothing, shoes, silverware and wooden items in Jummerat Bazaar, books in Sunday Book Bazaar, buy pearls at the 122-year-old Modi Pearl.