A dedicated shopper will find the full range of quality and prices available in Boston and the bonus is that there is no sales tax on clothes under US$175 and only a 5% sales tax otherwise. Inevitably, there is the usual plethora of chain stores, but there are still enough individual and idiosyncratic shops and boutiques to please all but the ardent purist.

Newbury Street, which runs the length of the Back Bay district from Boston Common to Massachusetts Avenue, is the high end of the market with expensive and designer shops, art galleries, book and antique shops and cafés. Nearby Copley Place is also good for browsing.

The Prudential Center, Huntington Avenue, is jam-packed with more conventional shops and restaurants. Moving towards the middle of town, another major shopping centre is the Faneuil Hall Quincy Marketplace. Originally built in 1826 as a meat and green grocery hall, it now contains over 100 shops, cafes and restaurants.

The original Filene's and Filene's Basement are at 426 Washington Street. The Basement is the place for committed bargain-hunters, while upstairs is a sensibly priced department store with the full range of products.

In general, Boston shops are open Monday-Saturday 0900/1000-1800/1900, with malls and larger stores also open on Sundays 1200-1800. Different shops and areas will often have one late-night closing at around 2000.