Shopping in Spain remains a personal, rather than impersonal, experience. The majority of Spanish stores are small family run affairs although many more hypermarkets and supermarkets have begun to spring up. The hypermarkets tend to lie in the rapidly expanding Spanish suburbs, while the older city neighborhoods hold fast to traditional shopping patterns.

The Spanish often don't seem to believe in queuing and people often push and shove their way to the front. Shop assistants will not always serve customers in order; so if it is your turn - speak up! The last person in line is called ¨la ultima,¨ and you may ask or be asked who is La Ultima. Some foreigners complain that Spanish service people can be surly, but we have found the great majority of them to be friendly and pleasant. You have indoor markets, called mercados, permanent street markets and traveling open-air street markets that move from area to area. Often prices can be 20% lower than in shops! Markets usually operate from 0900 until 1400 and sell a variety of goods such as: food, flowers, clothes, shoes, crockery, , cookware, linen, ceramics, cassettes/CDs, arts and crafts, household wares, carpets, jewelry, etc. Watch out for well name brands though, as they are usually fakes. The best products to buy in Spain are handmade items such as ceramics, pottery, woodwork, embroidery and paintings. Spanish leather goods are also good quality and good value for money but not cheap. Arts and crafts have survived better in Spain than in other Western European countries and this is reflected in their goods.

When you want to go shopping in Barcelona you have to bear in mind that most shops are not open during lunchtime/siesta. In general, they're opened during weekdays from 9-1.30 and from 5-8. On Sundays, most shops don't open their doors in the afternoon. There are various shopping areas. The most elegant shopping places can be traced at the Passeig de Gracia, the Rambla de Catalunya, Avingunda Diagonal and at the Eixample. For small boutiques and souvenirs, try Carrer Tuset.

Coquette is a New York style boutique located in Barcelona's most fashionable area, the Born. Coquette was chosen as one of the top five shops in Barcelona by the show "Fashion Avenue", hosted by top model Jodie Kidd. One of the most impressive boutiques in the upmarket Turó Park area of Barcelona that offers a stylish selection of trendy designers such as Isabel Marant, Chloe, Sienna Miller, Vanessa Bruno and others. In the 1960’s, a group of young artists in Barcelona used their work to challenge the establishment and to strive for a better future. The movement became known as La Gauche Divine and for two Barceloneses it has become an inspiration and the namesake for their new concept store. The Maremagnum Shopping center (which has not only fans amongst the inhabitants of Barcelona) is a big American style shopping mall. Some like it, some don't. I liked the Aquarium next to it, although this is expensive.

Madrid is without doubt one of the main centres for shopping in Spain and the numerous districts provide a shoppers' paradise. Whether you are looking for Spanish fashion, antiques, furniture or home accessories, rest assured that Madrid will provide you with a huge choice. Most shops are open Monday to Saturday from 09:30 to 14:00, reopening between 16:00 to 17:00 until around 20:00, or maybe later.

There are a number of different shopping zones within central Madrid, with a very diverse range of shops. Around Calles Preciados, which has been pedestrianised, Puerta del Sol and Montera, there are department stores and shops, including bargain-basements, craft, jewellery, clothes and many tourist outlets. Old craft and curiousity shops can be found along Calles Mayor, Arenal and also Plaza Mayor. The Salamanca is a major shopping area in Madrid, with some of the city's largest and best stores. This is definitely the place to come for some serious shopping and a huge range of shops are located along Serrano and parallel streets, Claudio Coello, Lagasca and Vel ázquez. There is also an excellent selection of shops to be found nearby, within the grid of connecting streets.

There are a varied choice of goods situated north-west of Plaza de España, at Calles de la Princesa, Martin de los Heros and other nearby streets. The large El Corte Inglés department store and also the Multicentro Princesa are located in this area, near to the Argülles metro station. There are also a large number of bookshops along the Calle Alberto Aguilera, which is near to the university.

Nestled amongst Madrid's tall skyscrapers and modern buildings are many great stores, offering a wide choice for Madrid shoppers. Next to the Azca commercial development is the Moda shopping mall, which is crammed with interesting shops. Also, further north, the La Vaguada is one of Madrid's largest complexes and houses around 350 outlets, including a department store , fashion outlets, cafés and countless others places to eat - and there are even cinemas. El Corte Inglés is one of Madrid's largest department stores and is popular throughout the country. It is simply vast and sells almost everything that you could possibly need - there is even a large, well-stocked supermarket. With multilingual staff and air conditioning, this huge store is well worth a visit.

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