Shopping

There is a variety of shopping options for you in Australia.  There are shopping malls and plazas in most major suburbs.

Prices in Australia are fixed therefore it’s not usual practice to bargain.  Most items will be labeled with a price tag.

Supermarkets

Woolworths, Safeway, Coles, BiLo and IGA are some of the major supermarkets.

Shopping is by self-service and goods are paid for at the ‘checkout’ before you leave.  Prices vary between these stores and you should shop around for the best prices.

Asian supermarkets are also available in some suburbs and sell a large variety of Asian foods.

Opening hours

Shopping malls and most other shops are open during the following hours:

Large supermarkets are open until midnight and some stay open for 24 hours a day (Melbourne and Sydney).

Convenience stores such as 7-Eleven and Food Plus are generally open 24 hours but prices are slightly more expensive than supermarkets.

Paying for goods

There is a variety of methods that you can use to pay for goods:

• Cash
• EFTPOS (using your ATM card)
• Credit card
• Lay-by (allows you to purchase something over a period of time but you cannot take it home until it is entirely paid for).

Markets

Fresh fruit, vegetables and meat are often sold at markets at cheaper prices than the supermarket.

Markets also sell a variety of other goods such as clothing, plants, furniture etc.  Each market has its own trading hours.  Most are only open 2-3 days per week.