People do not generally visit Rio specifically to shop. Typical Brazilian wares are thin on the ground, with shops orientated towards tourists, selling tacky T-shirts and souvenirs. Nevertheless, Rio is the place to invest in good-quality beach- and swimwear, competitively-priced fashion, antiques and jewellery. Brazilian soccer shirts make great gifts. Official shirts are available from sports shops and are of a higher quality and more expensive than the cotton replicas found in clothes shops or on street stalls.

The main shopping streets are Avenida Nossa Senhora de Copacabana and Rua Barata Ribeiro in Copacabana, Rua Visconde de Pirajá in Ipanema and Avenida Ataulfo de Paiva in Leblon. Rio has over 30 shopping centres located throughout the city, most of which contain supermarkets, department stores, fashion boutiques and music outlets, as well as places to eat. The most central is Rio Sul, Rua Lauro Muller 116, in Botafogo. Other options include the São Conrado Fashion Mall, Estrada da Gávea 899, São Conrado, and Shopping Center de Copacabana, Rua Siqueira Campos 143, Copacabana.

Rio also has plenty of good bookstores, many with pleasant cafes located inside. One of the best is Livraria da Travessa, with branches at Travessa do Ouvidor 11A, Centro, Avenida Rio Branco 44, Centro, and Rua Visconde de Pirajá 462A, Ipanema, where you can browse the books and international magazines while having a coffee.

Good-quality arts and crafts are available at regular outdoor markets, which are colourful and entertaining places for tourists to visit. The Babilônia Hype Fair, at Tribune C of the Brazilian Jockey Club Racetrack, is open most weekends (1400 to 2200) and gathers together over 150 fashion, art and decoration-themed stalls, also featuring music and dance performances. The Hippie Fair every Sunday (0900 to 1700) around the 18th-century Saracuras Fountain in Ipanema featuring handicrafts and artwork is a major attraction for visitors. Rio Antiques Fair, lon Rua do Lavradio, Centro, is held on the first Saturday of every month (1000 to 1800). The market provides an excellent opportunity for treasure hunting on this neoclassical street, which becomes filled with music and was once the home and meeting place for artists, poets, politicians, and writers who have shaped Rio's history.

Jewellery shops H Stern, Rua Visconde de Pirajá 490, Ipanema, and Amsterdam Sauer, Rua Garcia D'Ávila, Ipanema, have branches throughout the city, as well as outlets in most of the upmarket hotels, selling intricate and elegant silver, pearl and gemstone designs.

Shops are usually open Monday to Friday 0900 to 1900 and Saturday 0900 to 1300, although hours vary according to the location and type of business. Shopping centres are generally open daily 1000 to 2200, although some have more limited opening hours on Sundays. ICMS (sales tax) in shops is 18%. There is no tax refund scheme in Brazil.