The pedestrian street, Zeil (from Hauptwache to Konstablerwache) is the city's major shopping street and is lined with well-known department stores, including the super-modern Zeilgalerie, Zeil 112-114 (www.zeilgalerie.com), with approximately 50 shops, a number of eateries, an aqua spa, and tremendous views from the roof terrace. Many shops along Zeil sell the typical local gift, the ebbelwei (apple wine) carafe, called bembel, which comes with matching glasses. International names can be found in the streets leading off the main thoroughfare. Goethestrasse is known for its exclusive designer clothing and jewellery boutiques. Oeder Weg and Berger Strasse offer just the opposite - small but interesting bargain and curiosity shops in which to rummage.

The largest shopping centres are the Nordwest Zentrum, Walter-Möller-Platz 2, and Schillerpassage, Rahmhofstrasse 2. Others are the Hessen Centre, Borsigallee 26, the Neu-Isenburg-Zentrum, Hermesstrasse 4, and the Main-Taunus-Zentrum in Sulzbach. Antiques can be found in the streets around the cathedral. Grosse Bockenheimer Strasse has the best delicatessens, fish shops, markets and wine merchants in town and the Kleinmarkthalle on Hasengasse is full of international delicacies. For something unusual, Comica, Stiftstrasse, offers comics, graphic novels and related memorabilia.

Out of the city centre, Leipziger Strasse in Bornheim has a range of idiosyncratic shops and Schweizer Strasse in Sachsenhausen is the home of some exclusive boutiques. A flea market is held every Saturday 0900-1400 on the Museumsufer (Schaumainkai), while an excellent produce market can be found on Saturday 0800-1700 and Thursday 1000-2000 on Konstablerwache Square.

Large city-centre stores and supermarkets are open Monday to Friday 0900-2000 and Saturday 0900-1600. Smaller shops close at 1830 on weekdays and on Saturday at 1400. All shops are closed on Sunday. VAT is currently at 19%. Travellers who live outside the European Union can obtain a tax refund (www.globalrefund.com) on goods bought in Germany. This is done by submitting the purchased goods and the original receipt to the customs office at the airport, before check-in. The export certificate should then be taken to any one of five counters after the security check, where a cash refund is obtained.