San Francisco has many of the big names in shopping (Saks, Macy's, Neiman Marcus and Tiffany's) mostly clustered around Union Square, the centre of downtown spending. But it is the dozens of galleries and bookshops within an 800m (half-mile) radius of the square that provide the stimulus and respite to keep going. Unlike many other US cities, San Francisco has no specific indoor malls, opting instead for distinct shopping districts.

You'll find the more interesting items further afield. A walk through Chinatown can pay dividends, as discounted imported jewellery, clothing and objets d'art appear down Grant Avenue, every few yards. Where else could one find pieces of priceless 17th-century vases, which were smashed during the Cultural Revolution, converted into US$10 jewellery boxes? Or watch workers seal your fate at Golden Gate Fortune Cookies Co., 56 Ross Alley, a small fortune-cookie-making factory? For a counter-culture neighbourhood, The Haight has gone somewhat commercial. But past the GAP, at the Haight-Ashbury intersection, you can find folk art, music, and vintage clothing shops.

There is a more intellectual vibe in North Beach where Beat poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti's City Lights Bookstore, 261 Columbus Avenue, stays open until midnight. Here, you'll also find made-in-San Francisco boutique designer shops. Al from Al's Attire in Grant Street has a penchant for elaborate shirts and coats made from his own coveted collection of vintage material.

Currently in vogue, Ghirardelli Square, a former chocolate factory located at 900 North Point Street, and Cow Hollow, to the north of the exclusive Pacific Heights, are both off the beaten track but worth making the effort. Tiny Hayes Valley, west of the Civic Centre, has a stretch of funky local art galleries and stylish clothing boutiques, for one-of-a-kind items, plus an astonishing array of top-notch restaurants and hip nightspots. Pacific Heights, particularly along Fillmore Street and Sacramento Street, has a similar yet slightly more upscale feel, with many modern houseware and high-end gift shops.

Specialist shops offer something for every taste, from Chocolate Heaven, Pier 39, with chocolates from around the world, and Sanrio, Stockton Street and Market Street, devoted entirely to Hello Kitty and friends, to Stormy Leather, Howard Street, SoMa, a fetish boutique owned and run by women, for the past 20 years.

For souvenirs of the edible variety, don't neglect The Ferry Building, on Embarcadero at Market Street (see Key Attractions).

Discount stores, like Marshall's on Market Street, do exist. Designer names like Burberry, Calvin Klein and Wilkes Bashford vie for attention with Chanel and Armani in Union Square, the heartbeat of the high-end shopping district flanked by the Financial District on one side and the Theatre District on another. Just two blocks away at the Westfield San Francisco Shopping Centre on Market Street, Nordstrom occupies the top five floors of this nine-level collection of 90 merchants connected by spiral escalators.

San Francisco adds an 8.5% non-refundable sales tax on every item. Opening hours vary widely - many shops are open well into the evening and most are open at least some hours on Sunday.