Melbourne is not exactly a shopping mecca but things like chocolate, wine, jerky, vitamins and skincare can be gifts you can bring home (or buy for yourself).
Just forget about getting good deals on luxury goods. The USA and Europe are better places to shop for those!
From Chemist Warehouse
In Australia, the “chemist” or pharmacy is the place to shop for Aussie-branded skincare (think QV or Cetaphil for sensitive skin, affordable rosehip oil) and vitamins or supplements (I’d only buy those that are on sale). The bright red and blue colours of Chemist Warehouse is hard to miss!
Swisse, Blackmores, etc.
Vitamins are all similar, just find what you like (or what’s on sale, hah).
QV, Aveeno, etc.
Brands that have what you need for dry, eczema-prone skin.
Rosehip Oil
Maybe good to bring back for friends or family, just pick whatever is on sale.
Manuka Honey
Quite popular. There’s cheaper ones in Coles or Woolworths.
Honey
Beechworth Honey is popular with tourists and they used to have a shop at The Block Arcade on Collins St. in the CBD. Unfortunately, they have now closed.
You can still find their honey in some grocery chains like Coles or Woolworths.
Otherwise their only shop is at Beechworth, VIC which is about 300km or 3 hours by car from Melbourne CBD.
Other things you can get:
- Kangaroo Jerky from Tribal Tastes at Queen Victoria Market.
- Any chocolates on sale from Coles or Woolworths.
- Wine at the airport.
- Aesop, an overpriced luxury brand for soaps, lotions, and other fragrances has shops around the city or the airport.
- Australian opal jewelry (stalls at Queen Victoria Market sell them, or try other jewelry shops in the city).
- If you want to go all-out shopping for bags and clothes, go to DFO South Warf to visit some outlets. Oroton, Witchery, and Country Road are some Aussie brands that come to mind. Have a meal at a pub or restaurant by the river before or after you shop! Some have live music in the evenings (not sure about weekdays)
- Don’t care about outlet discounts? Go to Chadstone to shop some of the brands above, shop for affordable makeup at Morphe, visit the Lego store, and keep shopping until you’re dropping.
Shopping with kids:
- Kmart has a lot of affordable toys.
- Lego stores in the city and Chadstone.
Tourist Refund Scheme
Before you fly home, be sure to check if you can get tax back for shopping in Melbourne.
You can get a refund if you spent $300 or more (including GST) with a single business at a store or a chain of stores covered by the same Australian Business Number (ABN), i.e. it has to be exactly the same retail shop franchise (different franchise location will have a different ABN).
Tax Refund Tips
If you are putting items you plan to get a tax refund on inside your checked-in baggage, you will need to go to the TRS section in the ground floor (Arrivals) at the Melbourne Airport and show the items you bought BEFORE you check-in your luggage.
Departure is on the 2nd floor, so take the escalator or lift and find the TRS in the ground floor. Queue up with your purchased items and receipts. They will just give you a paper confirming that you can make a tax refund claim. The actual refund is inside the Departures area. Once done, you are free to check in your luggage.
If you are getting a tax refund for items in your hand carry OR for the items in your checked-in luggage (after first going to the TRS in the Arrivals floor), go to the TRS inside the Departures, after you’ve gone through the body/bag scanners.
This is the 2nd step if you’ve already had purchases you put into checked-in luggage approved. This is the step where they will process your refund.