Most of central Cologne's shops are between Rudolfplatz and the Dom. Off Rudolfplatz, Mittlestrasse, Ehrenstrasse, Pfeilstrasse and Benesissttrasse are home to smart clothes, jewellery, home furnishings and antique boutiques. Ehrenstrasse leads into Breitestrasse, another smart if not so exclusive street, as it heads back towards the Dom. The main shopping street is Schildergasse which runs parallel to Breitestrasse, and leads on from Mittlestrasse via Neumarkt, Hohe Strasse and back to the Dom.

Neumarkt itself is a smart shopping centre based around the Neumarkt Galerie mall. The pedestrianised Schildergasse is one of Germany's busiest shopping streets, lined with national and international brand name outlets and distinguished by Renzo Piano's stunning glass flagship building for Peek & Cloppenburg clothing department store. At Kaufhof Galerie (Cologne's best general department store alongside Karstadt, on Breitestrasse) Schildergasset turns into Hohe Strasse, a rather depressing street of cheap and cut price outlets.

The city's most famous product is Kölner Wasser (Eau de Cologne) with two shops worth noting. The 4711-Haus at Glockengasse 4711 has the more famous name but the Farina-Haus, opposite the town hall at Obenmarspforten 21, is where Eau de Cologne originated in 1709. It is well worth a visit, both to buy its beautifully packaged products and to visit its small fragrance museum.

Germany is one of the world's leading processors of cocoa beans, a fact reflected in the mind-boggling array of top quality chocolates in the shop of the Imhoff Stollwerck Museum (see Key Attractions).

Shops on Schildergasse and Hohe Strasse are open Monday to Saturday 1000-2000; elsewhere 1000-1800 is the norm.