Shopping in Australia

When it comes to malls, retail stores and really anything to do with shopping, what you see in Australia is very similar to that of what you see in North America, and historically, Australia's shopping industry has been much more influenced by the United States, and not Europe. It can be seen when it comes to the size of shops, the range available, and the style. On top of that, due to the large amount of Asian influence Australia has had, there's a large number of Japanese, Korean, Chinese and Singaporean shops, particularly in Sydney.

Most Australian shopping malls and shops have much shorter hours than those in the United States. Shops usually open between 8 and 9, but some can open as early as 7AM and usually close between 6 and 7PM, but some close late at 8, except grocery stores/supermarkets which sometimes close at 11PM or even up till midnight. The only exception is on Thursday, where most shops close at around 9 to 10PM. The biggest exception is during the latter part of November until December 26, where stores are open up till 9 or 10PM throughout for the Christmas sales as well as the Black Friday sales – and these are often when malls get pretty crowded.

Australian banks are open Monday-Friday 9AM-4PM only, often closing at 5PM on Fridays. Cash is generally available through Automatic Teller Machines (ATM) 24 hours although that's starting to fade out, and currency exchange outlets have extended hours and are open on weekends.

Although malls weren't founded in Australia, the Americanization of Australia saw the large increase of malls, particularly in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Newcastle and Canberra while Adelaide has them but to a much lower scale. However, Hobart doesn't have large scale malls like the other cities, but rather they have more open-air shopping centres/malls. Smaller towns typically have one main street where most of the shops are located, and perhaps one shopping centre where you can find a few shops and a supermarket.

Australia also has a number of historic shopping arcades dating back to the 19th and early 20th centuries, with some notable ones in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide.

What's found inside a mall is again similar to those found in the US, and they usually have the typical retail shops, a food court, some popup stores, specialty stores, and sometimes fruit stalls, although fruit stalls aren't found in all malls.

Unlike the United States, you pay for what's marked, and the Goods and Services tax (what would be called a sales tax) in the U.S. is already included in the price, not an extra 10 or so percent. Receipts usually include the GST price as well.

There is also a Tourist Refund Scheme in Australia where if you buy goods over $300 at one place at one time you can obtain a refund of the GST if you take the items out of Australia within 60 days and this applies to both Australian citizens and foreigners. Remember to get a tax invoice from the supplier (which will have the goods itemised, the GST paid, and the ABN of the supplier) and pack the items in hand luggage, and present the item(s) and the receipt at the TRS, after immigration and security when leaving Australia.

If any of the items have to be checked in for whatever reason, make sure that you locate the customs office and let customs officers sight the goods before checking-in your bags and allow at least an extra 30 minutes before departure, and if possible enter the details online before you arrive at the airport.

The refund payment can be made by either cheque, credit to an Australian bank account, or payment to a credit card. There is no refund available for GST on services. Remember the goods are now considered duty-free, and you'll have to pay GST on them if you bring them back into Australia and they are in excess of your duty-free allowances.

Unlike the U.S., tipping is not customary in Australia. Tips are accepted if you freely choose to give one, though Australians themselves generally do not tip.

Restaurants are required to include the cost of service and taxes in posted prices and while you may, however, choose to leave a small tip if the service was exemplary, it too, is very uncommon. When paying by credit card, some restaurants give the option of adding a tip to your payment, although it is completely optional and that too is uncommon. Other places provide a coin jar by the cashier labelled "Tips", and it's very rare to see it 50% full.

Other types of service personnel, including hotel staff, porters, tour guides, food delivery drivers and hairdressers do not expect to receive tips.

Tipping is also not expected in taxis, and drivers will typically return your change to the last 5 cents, unless you indicate that they should keep the change but unlike tipping in restaurants, it is not unusual for passengers to instruct the driver to round up to the next whole dollar.

Casinos in Australia generally prohibit tipping of gaming staff, as it is considered bribery. Similarly, offering to tip government officials will also usually be interpreted as bribery and may be treated as a criminal offence.

Duty free shopping in Australia can generally only be done in airports and Australian external territories such as Norfolk Island, Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. In some ports, you may find some duty-free items, although this may not be the case everywhere. As Australia has never had any city near an international border, duty-free areas such as the one between Zhuhai and Macau have never existed.

• Shopping
• Shopping in the United States