Shopping

The largest and most eminent of the malls in Geneva. It has more than a hundred stores, including expensive designer outlets, jewelry shops, and also a movie theater.

It is frequented by the fashionable elite of Geneva. Personal shopping assistants are on hand to facilitate shopping. The most prominent designer labels from around the world, including Patek Phillippe, Cartier, Gubelin, Bvlgari, Armani, Hermes, Dior, Louis Vuitton, and Gucci. Outlets such as the Aeschbach or Bruno Magli offer the most splendid, but expensive, footwear to complement the gear and jewelry bought from the designer stores. Other items of interest include purses, watches, caps, hats, jackets, and haute couture. Also up for sale are mouthwatering chocolates and confectionery delights.

Owned by the Migros, and being the glitziest and ritziest shopping center in all of Geneva, the Globus Department Store offers plenty of designer brands and labels in clothing and cosmetics, and exquisite jewelry. It also has a gourmet grocery store located on the ground floor, having its very own wine cellar.

A small but pretty expensive shopping mall. Offers clothes and related accessories. Also has electronic and household items.

Located to the east of the Rue de Rhone, and running parallel to it, the Rue du Rive makes up one of Geneva's most famous shopping district. It features designer retail stores and internationally acclaimed watch making outlets that are generally less expensive than those of the Rue de Rhone. Window shoppers are frequently found gazing longingly at the window displays.

Located close to the central railway station, this is an outlet of the largest chain of department stores in Switzerland. It consists of 6 storeys and contains all that you would need, under one roof, like electronic goods, children's and adult clothing, sportswear and equipment, furniture, toys, hardware, and items of daily use. The food court located on the ground floor is a popular hangout.

Ideally situated at a centralized location along the main shopping street of Geneva. Comprises of around 50 stores and cafes, and offers baked goods stalls throughout the shopping center.

Contains fashionable vintage clothing outlets and unique ethnic boutiques. Offers some of the best bargains in Geneva. Bookstores, jewelry, household items like cutlery and kitchenware, oriental rugs and antiques are a few of items up for sale.

Located in almost all neighborhoods around Geneva, and essentially all of Switzerland, the Migros is undoubtedly the most popular chain of supermarkets in the country. It is conveniently cheap and contains general goods instead of designer and brand labels. Typical items on sale are clothes, toys, footwear, electrical goods, and home appliances. Migros does not sell alcohol of any kind. It also offers sports and recreational activities, leisure trips, and language courses at inexpensive prices. Some of the locations of the M stores, as they are commonly called, are:

A rival to, but not quite up to the standard of, the Migros chain, this is another popular name in Switzerland. It offers brand-name goods as well as foodstuff, fresh and frozen, organic and processed. Coop, unlike the Migros stores, offers alcohol and alcoholic products. Other items on sale are office materials, household products like cleaning and washing equipment, cosmetics, electrical appliances, sports equipment, and also flowers! Some of the Coop stores also contain self-service restaurants.

This is a chain of discount supermarkets, its outlets being situated conveniently at busy shopping districts of Geneva. It is open almost all day, but is closed during lunch hours in the afternoon.

This is a small and crowded shoe store, with walls lined up with shoe boxes and very little room to walk, and heart-throbbing music playing from speakers placed on the walls. Women customers try to push past the crowd to get to their desired display item. All this could have made it a horribly frustrating shopping experience overall if it was not for the splendid shoes and their even more splendid prices.

A small, quite convenient shopping mall for people who would rather wind up all their miscellaneous shopping in a day, at one place. Includes dry cleaning centers, film-developing studios, pet grooming shops, barbers and hair stylists, and a grocery store which is generally cheaper than any grocery store in Geneva.

The open-air markets of Geneva offer an escape from the expensive environment of the exquisite shopping malls. They also give you the chance of interacting freely with the local citizens. Bargaining is highly recommended, usually for non-edible items. Some of the leading flea markets around Geneva are:

Not very catchy at first sight, but contains a plethora of treasures when it comes to Swiss souvenir shopping. That is why the market attracts more tourists than local citizens. It stretches as a wide boulevard up to the quay area. The major gift shops are 15 Mont-Blanc, Swiss Tradition, Affolter Kurt et Eric Noll, Devillon, NIC SA 5 and La Civette. The traditional Swiss crafts and souvenirs offered include chocolates and confectioneries, folk-style blouses, porcelain cows, fragile decorative chinaware, laced dresses for girls, all kinds of interesting watches and clocks, including cuckoo clocks, a wide selection of local clothing and jewelry, and, of course, Swiss penknives. The nearness to the quay means the atmosphere is always fresh and pleasant. Cafes and bistros line the broad walkways and successfully lure exhausted customers.

All kinds of handmade goods to remind you of Swiss creativity, and, more importantly, Swiss hospitality. Prices are much lower than other souvenir shops.

Smaller souvenir stores are situated in the following neighborhoods, each containing its own special treats:

If you are on the hunt for ancient art pieces or antiques, the small secluded shops of the Old Town are sure to delight you. The most popular shopping street is definitely the Grand Rue, but feel free to wander aimlessly in any of the narrow alleyways of the Old Town, as each street has its own little surprise for you.

The art and study of timekeeping has been an ancient tradition in Geneva. The city's watch industry was initiated somewhere in the mid 17th century, and Geneva has retained the status of a world leader in watch making ever since. Patek Phillipe, Omega, Swatch, and Frank Muller are a few of the most prominent names in the watch making industry, all emerging from this very city. The quality, however, comes at a fairly expensive price. A few of the leading stores are:

Geneva is heaven on earth for any chocolate lover. Almost all grocery stores around the city have an exciting assortment of Swiss delicacies. But it is the larger bakeries and specialty shops that offer the real treat, from the chocolate filled to the chocolate covered and chocolate coated goodies. Some are: