Hangzhou is a shopper's haven. A historical centre of China's silk industry, this legacy lives on at Fenqi Road, a recreated traditional Hangzhounese bazaar offering myriad silk clothing and accessory stores. It's a great place to buy souvenirs, but do bargain hard. Souvenir hunters also head to the Night Market (Renhe Road and Huxing Road). The city's famous Longjing Tea is available almost everywhere, though is best purchased at the tea plantation itself to avoid buying lower-grade leaves. The Xihu Tiandi Gift Shop has some attractive, if a little pricey, Chinese souvenirs.

On a more mainstream level, the city's growing affluence has attracted scores of foreign retailers. The main shopping street, Yan'an Road, bisects the city and lake. Clustered here are many Chinese brand stores and familiar names like Mont Blanc, Levi's, Carrefour, Adidas and KFC. Part of the Hubin Road lakefront area has been developed into an upscale shopping district, including Armani Casa, Three (by Shanghai's Three on the Bund), Ferrari Store and Swarovski.