Melbourne, a city renowned for its vibrant arts scene, world-class dining, and picturesque landscapes, is also a shopping paradise. With a plethora of shopping centres that cater to every taste and budget, Melbourne offers a retail experience like no other. This blog post will take you through the top 9 leading shopping centres in Melbourne.
CHADSTONE
Known as the fashion capital of the city, Chadstone is the largest shopping centre in Australia, and its presence adds to the already glittering city of Melbourne.
Pros
There are lots of international fashion brands and homeware retailers. Brands include Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma, Tiffany & Co, Zara and Topshop, to name a few, and you’ll also find plenty of high-end designer labels such as Hugo Boss, Chanel, Prada and Jimmy Choo, to name a few.
For those car lovers, the car wash service in the underground car park is worth it. Moreover, you can even kill two birds with one stone during Christmas shopping by getting your car washed and a parking space.
Stylish families will love Cheeky Chinos, the first cafe in Australia to offer supervised children under six years old and a dedicated play area. At $5 per 15 minutes, your kids will be run during this time so that parents can enjoy their coffee breaks in peace. Additionally, Other play areas in the shopping centre are popular with children.
Cons
You must be dressed to the nines, even if you hang out at CHADSTONE. Besides, you’ll most likely have to squeeze into the entrance of Tiffiny with a large group of guests, and it’s always crowded. For those who drive, finding a parking space can be a nightmare.
EMPORIUM
EMPORIUM is in Myer’s Lonsdale St, connecting Melbourne Central, Myer and David Jones.
Pros
Emporium’s food centre is Melbourne’s trendsetter, where you can find various gourmet restaurants, which is a good thing for city commuters.
If you stay overnight in the city, you can have the shopping centre deliver your purchases to your room for free.
Don’t leave Melbourne, and you can enjoy Japanese shopping at Uniqlo, where you can buy your favourite polo shirt, jacket or pair of jeans, and the fitting rooms are very safe.
Cons
As it is in the city, parking is costly, and the traffic is very congested. Moreover, it’s best to take the train or tram.
HIGHPOINT
Highpoint in Maribyrnong boasts a world-class shopping centre with over 500 shops, more than 7,000 car parking spaces and a “proud and honourable history of bringing a wide range of retailers and brands to Melbourne’s West End”.
Pros
A luxury refurbishment in 2013 introduced international brands such as Zara and Topshop, while the centre also houses many local Australian fashion brands such as Sass & Bide, Gorman and Alannah Hill. Besides, there is also a huge new David Jones and a refurbished Myer shop.
Many mums choose to shop at Highpoint because of the baby rooms. Because, there are few better and more stylish baby rooms in Melbourne, with play areas, private breastfeeding spaces, high chairs and even televisions to make changing nappies and breastfeeding more accessible and enjoyable for mums. Looking closely, you’ll see the words “New York, London, Fitzgerald” placed in each room.
There is a fresh food market in the mall, which offers plenty of new and cheap food.
Cons
Finding a parking space on weekends is very difficult.
Go inside, and you’ll see the results of a $300 million renovation, but they seem to have forgotten to renovate the old supermarket in the middle, which is precisely the same as it was before.
Highpoint is the fourth largest shopping centre in Australia, and it does look big. Because it’s so big, the cycle paths and tram paths outside aren’t all that accessible.
There are very horrible traffic jams here.
SOUTHLAND
Southland has about 130,000 square metres of business space, and according to the official website, there are more than 6,000 parking spaces, but the truth is that empty parking spaces are too hard to find. Don’t worry though, there will soon be a train station opening up with this destination, so customers can come directly by train, which will certainly ease the use of parking spaces.
Pros
If you like to ride in spacious lifts, you’ll love the one in the cinema, which can take up to 15 people at a time.
When you want dessert after your burger, you’ll find Grill next to San Churros, which is genius.
If you like supermarkets, you’ll love Coles in Southland, the biggest in Victoria.
Cotton On is also a huge shop and has lots of discounts.
Most of the time, you’ll probably forget you’re shopping over a road, but Kathmandu on Level 3 will remind you of this, with a view of Nepean.
Cons
Finding a parking space in Southland during rush hour is hard unless it’s near a cinema and the film has to be on right when it’s on.
If you’re pushing a pram or wheelchair, the shopping centre becomes a maze, and you need to go up the stairs and across the road to get to the other side.
The lifts are always crowded, and not all look like the ones in the cinema. Tip: the lifts on the David Jones side are less crowded!
Whilst there is plenty of free parking in Southland for 90 minutes, 2 hours and 4 hours, the space managers are Kingston Council, and they love to issue overtime tickets.
KNOX CITY
Parking at Knox City is free, and there are three entrances – Burwood Highway, Stud Rd and Melbourne St. Knox City is set to expand for $450 million, making it Australia’s second-largest shopping centre, with a smaller footprint than Chadstone.
Pros
If you love going to restaurants, then you’ll love Knox. There are some great restaurants, and there will soon be more in the Ozone, and I’m sure there will be even more after the expansion.
There is plenty of free car parking. However, the public is concerned that things may change after the expansion.
The library, cinema and Timezone in Knox are all great and more affordable than Chadstone or Doncaster; at least you don’t have to dress up to go shopping.
Cons
Some parts of the shopping centre look very old, mainly in Myer, where the carpets are upturned, the paint is peeling, and the changing rooms are all very dated, perhaps because they have recently been refurbished.
Knox Ozone has a low-class Irish pub and Lou Lou’s bar, which might attract a bit of loiterers.
There are two Coles supermarkets here, keeping any other competitors out.
EASTLAND
EASTLAND is located in Ringwood in Melbourne’s outer east side, just opposite Ringwood train station. The whole area is undergoing a significant refurbishment and will surely surprise us soon.
Pros
H &M, the fashion retail giant, has decided to open its second Melbourne shop here, which is a massive boost for Eastland.
Popular restaurants such as Frank Camorra’s Taqueria Pacos Tacos and Huxtaburger are opening shortly, transforming this place into Melbourne’s best shopping and dining centre.
The shopping centre has almost everything you need, including Costco nearby. And it’s still easy to find a parking space, even during rush hour.
Realm Center opens on 29 October at the same time as Eastland, including a new library and business centre in Ringwood.
Cons
Eastland will start charging for free parking for 3 hours after next February.
Those McDonald’s fans may be disappointed as the McDonald’s here closed earlier.
WESTFIELD DONCASTER
WESTFIELD DONCASTER is a vast shopping centre comparable to Chadstone, Melbourne’s other fashion capital.
Pros
Doncaster’s food court has some of the best views in Melbourne and a vast space for food choices, from healthy snacks, dumplings and ice cream to McDonald’s.
The best time to park is between 5 pm-6 pm when customers are moving around often, and you can find some empty spots.
The traffic lights become even more helpful when it’s tough to find a parking spot. Like most shopping centres, it’s also a good idea to find cars leaving soon and park when they do.
There are plenty of shops; dance lovers especially love the Bloch shop in Doncaster; nowhere else is more well stocked with dance supplies.
It boasts brands such as Apple, Nespresso, Myer, David Jones, Mecca Maxima and a champagne bar with a pianist. It’s much closer than Chadstone for those living in the North East and Outer East.
There are also many great children’s clothes shops, but parents are still talking to the centre about bringing Rhubarb back to Doncaster.
Cons
There is no free car parking.
The time it takes to get in and out of the car park is too long, and the indicators that spaces are available are deceiving.
The only children’s play area was tiny, and the kids almost fought to get in the little car with the wobbly steering wheel.
FOUNTAIN GATE
Fountain Gate is the largest shopping centre in the South East, made famous by Kath and Kim. After refurbishing in 2012, it boasts 120,000 square metres and 320 new shops.
Pros
With many shops, it is arguably the best shopping centre in South East Melbourne.
This shopping centre has become quite popular after its refurbishment.
Fountain Gate is the first shopping centre in Victoria to have a Krispy Kreme shop and probably the only one where parking is entirely free.
Speaking of parking, when you can’t find a space there’s always one near the Town Council meeting room. And it’s very close to the Switch/Pancake Parlour/Village Cinemas entrance.
Cons
It’s too big, which means it’s a pain in the arse when you’re trying to find something. And the shops here are all too far away from each other, so you’d better wear trainers.
NORTHLAND
Northland is a significant shopping centre in Preston East, approximately 11km north of Melbourne CBD.
Pros
This would be an excellent place to shop for shoppers who don’t want to spend too much money on clothes but still want to stay stylish.
The classical music and opera playing at the entrance to the car park are not to everyone’s taste, but they reduce the number of undesirable youths hanging around.
Some shops look like factory outlet shops, and the discounts are all excellent.
Cons
Northland’s website says it has “480 free parking spaces”, which means “you can always find a parking space”. But it seems to forget to remind you that it’s only that easy during school hours, and you can’t even find a space on a Thursday or Friday night.
If you want to go around there and stop a little bit to find a parking spot, you’ll find that street parking past Pancake Parlour is charged for.
All the discount shops are old, small and often out of stock, like Country Rd and Witchery. The Myer is like a town version of the shop, maybe the smallest and worst in Melbourne.
