For years, the Kurfürstendamm or Ku'damm for short was the place to shop in Berlin, with names such as Yves St Laurent and Jil Sander. This elegant boulevard of shops and department stores also has designer boutiques and shopping passages tucked down its side streets, particularly around the U-Bahn Uhlandstrasse station and along Fasanenstrasse where you can find chic designer stores like Chanel. The Europa-Center is also unmistakable, as it has a large revolving Mercedes-Benz symbol on its roof. The most famous address is Kaufhaus des Westens or KaDeWe, Tauentzienstrasse 21-24, the largest department store in Europe - its food hall is enormous.

However, the West's pre-eminence for Berlin shoppers is facing challenges from the revitalised areas of East Berlin. Unter den Linden and Friedrichstrasse have both blossomed since reunification, with boutiques, designer outlets such as Gucci and department stores such as Quartier 206 and the Galeries Lafayette shopping centre. Even this is changing with the completion of ALEXA, the new five-level shopping and leisure centre at Grunerstrasse 20 and the Potsdamer Platz Arkaden shopping mall which are luring away shoppers from other, more established areas. Also in the East are the boutiques and individual shops in the Hackesche Hofe, Weinmesterstrasse and the many galleries in the Scheunenviertel, just to the north.

For innovative clothing, Heckmannhöfe, Oranienburger Strasse 32, is the place for shoppers to head, with the likes of Hut Up, with its bold woollens, Nix, with its urban chic, and Sterling Gold, with its array of weird and wonderful second-hand cocktail and evening dresses. There is even a shop devoted to the Ampelmann, Rosenthaler Strasse, East Berlin's 'walk/don't walk' man. Other areas worth exploring are around Rosenhote, Alte Schonhaustrasse and Neue Schonhaustrasse.

For markets, there is the traditional fruit and vegetable market at Winterfeldtplatz, open Wednesday and Saturday 0800 to 1300. You can find more interesting objects at the Trödelmarkt (Flea Market) and Arts and Crafts Market, along Strasse des 17 Juni, open Saturday and Sunday 1100 to 1700.

Shops in Berlin can choose their own opening hours. However they are generally open Monday to Saturday 0900/1000 to 2000, and some Sundays. Smaller shops might close a little earlier, especially on Saturdays. The VAT rate in Germany is 19% on regular goods and Visitors from outside the EU can reclaim a portion of that on goods worth over €25. Shops displaying the 'TAX-FREE' sign issue a receipt that, when stamped by customs, can be redeemed at a tax-free reimbursement office.