The Ultimate Gold Coast Shopping Guide
Holidaying in the Gold Coast means surf, sun, sand and … shopping! With its many malls, markets, shopping strips and outlet stores, the Gold Coast offers some of the best shopping in all of Queensland. Read on for a guide to the best areas and places to go to get your retail fix. And, with summer looming, where is there a better place to do your summer shopping? So you better start to search for Gold Coast hotels today!
Gold Coast shopping
Harbour Town photo: Sherwin Huang / Foter / CC BY-NC-ND
Centro Surfers Paradise
Address: 2 Cavill Ave, Surfers Paradise QLD 4217
Containing over 120 stores, Centro Surfers is the main shopping centre of Surfers Paradise. It’s located in the main hub on Cavill Avenue, merely 100 metres from Surfers Paradise Beach. From fashion to cinemas and supermarkets, this mall has it all! It is also home to some quality restaurants and eateries, including the famous Hard Rock Café. The beauty of having everything at your fingertips means you have to make only one shopping trip. The downside about Centro is that it is packed during the height of tourist season.
Harbour Town
Address: 147-187 Brisbane Road, Biggera Waters QLD 4216
With over 120 outlet stores and not shabby second-hand stores, Harbour Town is one of Australia’s premier shopping destinations. Having opened in 1999, it claims the titles of being both Aussie’s first, and largest, factory outlet centre. A great place to grab a designer bargain, Harbour Town is home to big name brands including Oroton, City Beach, Alannah Hill and Nike.
Marina Mirage
Address: 74 Seaworld Dr, Main Beach QLD 4217
Offering some of the best in waterfront shopping in Queensland, and being conveniently close to Main Beach, Marina Mirage covers all of your luxury shopping needs. It boasts various local and international brand boutiques including Guess, Hermes, French Connection, Carla Zampatti, Zimmermann and Charlie Brown. Leave the partner beachside and spend an entire day getting your shop on!
Pacific Fair
Address: Hooker Boulevard, Broadbeach, Gold Coast, 4218
With a huge selection of over 250 stores, Pacific Fair is one of Australia’s most famous shopping malls. Nestled in the heart of Broadbeach, and close to the main accommodation and entertainment precincts, it is home to over 130 fashion/accessory stores alone. It just keeps getting better. Currently, there are development plans underway to increase the number of stores to over 400 and add an outdoor leisure section. In terms of getting there, Pacific Fair is easily accessible by car. It has over 5,000 car parking spaces. It also boasts one of the GC’s biggest bus interchanges, with buses regularly running to and from Pacific Fair.
Robina Town Centre
Address: Robina Town Centre Drive, off Robina Parkway, Robina QLD 4226
The Gold Coast’s largest shopping centre, Robina Town Centre is home to 350 shops, including the Gold Coast’s only David Jones. The size of the shopping area spans over 30-something hectares and is conveniently placed just 15 minutes from Surfers. Alongside its huge selection of fashion stores, Robina also has many high-quality lakeside restaurants and eateries. Another cool thing about this centre is that it is made up of a handful of different “themed” areas — including Bazaar Street, Food Markets, Crescent West and Arbour Lane — so you know exactly where to go to find whatever you are looking for. And, for those doing the family-holiday thing, it also has a child-minding service.
Carrara Markets
Address: Manchester Rd, Carrara QLD 4211
For a more unique shopping experience, Carrara Markets are Australia’s biggest permanent markets, running every weekend. Just a hop, skip and a jump away from Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach, the Carrara Markets are home to 500 stalls across an area spanning four hectares. Having been a hot-spot for tourists for over 30 years, there is a shuttle service to and from different areas all over the GC, including both Surfers and Broadbeach. With pony rides, buskers and face painters, a visit to Carrara Markets means a fun day out for all of the family!
