Queenstown Shopping

When it comes to shopping, the Queenstown region extends a unique mix of boutique shops and international-brand stores. Though the lakeside locale itself has built up an impressive variety of stores, Queenstown’s neighbouring towns have become shopping destinations in their own right over recent decades. Dedicate a day or night to perusing the wares on offer, and you’ll leave town with some exquisite mementoes of your stay in New Zealand’s deep south. 

Photo by: MSeses on Wikimedia Commons

Start in central Queenstown. You’ll stumble upon art galleries, souvenir stores, and local jewellery and clothes designers’ boutiques galore, making the downtown shopping area a great zone for buying a typically-New Zealand artefact for everyone back home. Better yet, with many of its shops located on the stunning Queenstown lakefront, you can saunter from store to store as you face out to the stunning mountain ranges that border Lake Wakatipu. Try Country Road, Barkers, or NZ clothing store Wild South Clothing for any urgent big-coat needs on colder days.

Arrowtown, barely quarter of an hour from Queenstown, is a compact but surprisingly dense shopping destination, and its old-timey streets make for a truly vintage shopping experience. Alongside its top-quality wool stores - WoolPress Arrowtown stocks items that are sure to keep you toasty in chilly Queenstown winters – Arrowtown boasts an Opal & Jade Factory and many other stores of unique interest. As with many shops in Queenstown proper, Arrowtown’s stores tend to stay open late, so that you can accomplish all of your shopping goals in the mystique of clear Otago night skies.

 

Photo by: Bgabel on Wikimedia Commons

When it comes to Queenstown’s shopping malls, make O’Connells in the heart of Queenstown your first port-of-call for snow and streetwear, any health essentials, and jewellery. Queenstown Mall, a general area of shops in the midst of the town, is also a shopping centre worth visiting, showcasing local and international clothing labels. Lastly, the Remarkables outdoor retail park – a new addition to Queenstown’s malls - is a prime shopping location for one of the region’s characteristic sunny days. Free parking, good shopping, places to stop for a bite to eat: what’s not to like? Park up after a round on the mountains, and see what’s in store at shops like Outdoor World.

On the weekends, you’ll find the Queenstown Art & Craft Market out in full force in Earnslow Park, while in summer the Remarkables Market sells local produce and unique wares.

To get between Queenstown’s favourite shopping districts, pick up a rental car from Omega’s Queenstown Airport Depot or the Queenstown Town Depot.