While for sheer size and scope Barcelona cannot compete with Paris or the world's other fashion capitals, it is "per capita" one of the worlds most stylish cities - architecture, fashion and decoration permeated by Catalan disseny ("design") which endows even the quotidian with a refreshing and stimulating aesthetic. All of this, naturally, makes for great shopping , from designer clothes and accessories to household accompaniments. Moreover, Barcelona is an undeniably pleasant place to shop: the wide boulevards of the Eixample and the pedestrianized streets in the Barri Gòtic both encourage lengthy browsing.
Moreover, with the low cost of living in Spain and the suffering euro, shoppers with pounds and dollars will find the city to be very cheap for a lot of items, and even more so if you coincide with the annual sales ( rebaixes, rebajas in Castilian) that follow the main fashion seasons - mid-January until the end of February, and throughout July and August.
The best shopping areas are the old streets off the upper part of the Ramblas, like c/Portaferrissa, c/del Pi, Avenida Portal de l'Àngel and Baixada de la Llibreteria; the area immediately around Plaça de Catalunya; in the Eixample, along Passeig de Gràcia and Rambla de Catalunya; and further north, along main streets like c/Muntaner, c/de Balmes, Avenida Diagonal and Via Augusta. It's in this last area that the big international designer names such as Calvin Klein and Versace are to be found. Good souvenirs include ceramics, which are widely sold in the streets around the cathedral; leather goods; anything from the city's delicatessens, particularly cooked Catalan meats and sausages, and tinned seafood; a porrón (the long-spouted glass drinking jar); and CDs and tapes of Catalan rock and pop, sardana music, Spanish rock or flamenco. If you're looking for original gift ideas, some of the best hunting can be found in the shops of any of the city's museums, where you'll find reasonably priced and unique examples of Catalan disseny , and other original items ranging from postcards to replica works of art.
Shop opening hours are typically Monday-Saturday 10am-1.30/2pm and 4.30-7.30/8pm, although many shops close on Saturday afternoons, and various markets, department stores and shopping centres open right through lunch, or may vary their hours in other ways. Check our listings for further details. All the stores we've listed are open in August unless otherwise stated.