Shopping in Moscow

Shopping centers in Moscow

Shopping centers in Moscow are conveniently located next to metro stations or on major streets. Usually, they are multi-story buildings that offer almost anything you would ever want or need. Glitz and glamour can be found in the vicinity of the Red Square, and on the Garden and Bulvarnoye rings. GUM and TSUM are the largest shopping centers.

Generally speaking, shopping centers also have cafes and restaurants, and sometimes playing areas for children, where a nanny can take care of the children while you are shopping.

Parking is usually convenient and located next to the shopping centers, but you will have to pay a parking fee. There are also special shuttle buses from metro stations that you can use.

Shopping for children in Moscow

Moscow has many shops directed specifically at children. One of the most popular ones is the Detsky Mir store on Lubyanka Street, which has the largest selection of children’s clothing and toys. Detsky Mir also has branches in other parts of Moscow.

The Aerobus Shopping Centre might also be worth checking out, as it is a shopping center with over 100 shops only for children, including clothes, food, baby equipment, and shoes. It also has an amusement center, called Ostrov.

Bookstores in Moscow

Moscow is definitely a city for passionate readers, so you’ll find many bookstores throughout the city. The best option is the Moskovsky Dom Knigi, literally meaning “the house of books.” It is located on the Novy Arbat, right in the heart of Moscow, and its collection is gigantic. They also sell foreign books.

Another good option is the Moskva bookstore on Tverskaya Street. Moskva is one of the oldest bookstores in Moscow and it is open until 1am.

Major bookshops usually take orders and reservations, and they are accessible also online through their web-stores.

Music stores in Moscow

There are many music stores in Moscow. Alongside the CDs and DVDs, most shops also sell music and band-related accessories such as T-shirts, belts, bags etc. There are a lot of shops focusing on rock music, as it is a very popular genre in Russia. Vintage stores are also popular; they sell vinyl LPs and often even retro speakers or record players.

Markets in Moscow

Markets in Moscow are very popular. Flowers, fruit, vegetables, meat, and dairy products are the most sold products. However, you can also find good quality clothing, home appliance, toys, garden accessories etc. from the markets.

Usually they are a lot cheaper in the markets than in normal stores. Although the products are cheap, they are usually of a good quality.

Popular ones include the Kolomenskoe Yamarka, which is a small covered outdoor market near the metro station of Kolomenskoe. Another worth mentioning is the Savyonok Yamarka, a large covered market with a café close to the Savyolovskaya metro station.

There are of course also trade fairs, which are organised on regular intervals in Moscow. ‘Fair of honey’, ‘Agricultural fair’, ‘Book fair’ and ‘Toys fair’ are just a few examples.

Second-hand shops in Moscow

Second hand shops offer cheaper prices for clothes. However, they often also sell vintage and retro clothing, which makes the second hand shops very attractive for vintage design hunters. Second hand shops are of course a good alternative if you are shopping on a budget.

Sports shops in Moscow

Sport shops are hugely popular in Moscow, usually equipped with the latest trends from the sporting world. There are normal shops where you can buy everything from clothes to sports equipment, but there are also many specialised stores, dedicated to one sport only.