In the shopping malls in Buenos Aires, you will find the brands that Argentines usually wear and the products they usually buy in one place.
Local people go shopping every day, especially on the weekends (you’ll see the crowds!) so it’s a good idea to avoid these days and go during the week.
Some of the buildings where the shopping malls are located are true works of art and tourist attractions in themselves. That is why, even if you do not buy anything, there is something to admire.
Does Buenos Aires have good shopping?
Buenos Aires has very good shopping, in the city you can find any type of store and there’s a wide price range. You can get national and international brands, vintage and second-hand clothes stores, and very expensive and more affordable options.
Which street is famous for shopping?
Calle Florida (street) is famous for shopping in the city center. Palermo is a neighborhood where you can find designer stores, unique boutiques and markets.
Santa Fe Av. in Palermo and Cabildo Av. in Belgrano are also good places to go shopping, here you can buy perfumes, cosmetics, clothes, suitcases, and souvenirs, like alfajores or mates.
Feria de Artesanos in the San Telmo neighborhood is a great place to find antiques, original and typical Argentine products, as well as souvenirs of the city and the country.
At 1000 Defensa St. you will find “Florida Tango” where you can find products related to this typical porteño dance, as well as gaucho products.
Where are the best places to go shopping in Buenos Aires?
The best places to go shopping like a local are shopping malls and markets. The main shopping malls are Alto Palermo, Patio Bullrrich, Paseo Alcorta, Dot Baires and Galerías Pacífico.
Every weekend there are markets like San Telmo, Plaza Serrano and Plaza Francia where you can find leather goods, house products, homemade food, and clothes and accessories. These are good options to find something unique to buy as a souvenir for you or somebody else.
What is worth buying in Buenos Aires, Argentina?
Leather products are definitely a great option to buy in Buenos Aires because of their quality and design. I recommend that you walk around and compare prices since sometimes you might end up paying more than its real value.
Another thing that you should buy is clothes and accessories, you’ll find prices to be cheaper especially if you are paying cash (ARS pesos). I suggest that you buy national brands, some international clothes are expensive due to import taxes.
There are also many options if you are looking for souvenirs like mate cups and sets, alfajores and traditional clothes like ponchos.
👉 What is the best and most unique souvenir you can buy in Argentina?
Where can I buy clothes in Buenos Aires?
Throughout the years, it displayed brands like Louis Vuitton and Cartier, which gave Alvear Avenue its air of superiority. Here you can shop for international luxury brands and some jewelry stores.
According to a study by the U.S. news network NBC, it is one of the destinations of choice for high-quality and affordable shopping. This ranking places it behind New York’s Fifth Avenue, Les Champs Elysées in Paris and Oxford St. in London.
Shopping malls are a great option to find clothes and also enjoy a meal. Neighborhoods like Palermo, San Telmo, las Cañitas, Belgrano and downtown Buenos Aires are areas with plenty of clothing stores.
On Cordoba Avenue and in the surrounding streets, there are outlets, where you can buy most of the national and international brands at reduced prices for discontinued products or products from the previous season.
Leather district in BA
There’s a famous street, Murillo st., where leather clothing is sold directly from the factory. There are many stores, one next to the other, and for this reason it is very easy and practical to go through different stores in a short time to compare prices between them.
Best shopping malls in BA
Galerías Pacífico
Galerías Pacífico was declared a National Historic Monument and is located in downtown Buenos Aires. It has more than 150 stores where you can buy top brand clothes and enjoy its food court, you can admire the architecture of the building, its fountains, and the great dome painted by renowned local artists.
📍Calle Florida y Avenida Córdoba
Alto Palermo
Located in the heart of Palermo, this shopping mall has stores of international and national brands such as María Vázquez, Ricky Sarkany and Rapsodia. It stands out for its modern design; inside, the ceiling is made of glass, offering visitors natural light.
📍Avenida Santa Fe 3253
Patio Bullrich
It is located in the Retiro neighborhood in an elegant neoclassical building that used to be a famous auction house for collectibles and even thoroughbred horses. This shopping mall is distinguished for being a shopping promenade for luxury brands.
📍Avenida Libertador 750
Distrito Arcos
Outdoors shopping center with brand stores and simple restaurants built on a former railroad viaduct, located in Palermo neighborhood.
📍Paraguay 4979
Alcorta Shopping
The former Paseo Alcorta was built in 1992, and since it has positioned itself as the reference shopping center for Argentine fashion. It brings together the best brands and designers, with fashion and avant-garde in one place. It’s located in the Barrio Parque neighborhood.
📍Jerónimo Salguero 3172
Abasto Shopping
Abasto Shopping is one of the largest and most successful shopping malls in Buenos Aires.
📍Av. Corrientes 3247
Tax information when shopping in Buenos Aires
Impuesto al Valor Agregado / IVA (Value Added Tax) is a fiscal charge or consumption tax that consumers have to pay on a mandatory basis when they carry out commercial transactions, such as transfers of goods, and services, or products they purchase. Since 1995, the value charged for this tax is 21% – this is the general rate.
When you buy a product or service, you receive an invoice containing this IVA tax. If the value, for example, if you buy something for $ 1000 Argentine pesos, the VAT of 21% is added to it, which would be $ 210 (1000*21% = 210). Therefore, the invoice total should be $ 1210.
Many times you’ll see two prices, one to pay with a card and the other (usually with a discount) in cash. Some stores also have an added tax if you pay with a credit card (around 10%). However, it’s very common to see promotions paying in installments, three installments with no interest rate added.
If you are a foreign tourist in the country, you may request the reimbursement of Impuesto al Valor Agregado / Value Added Tax (IVA) on purchases of domestic products over $70 USD made in Argentina in stores adhered to the regime (identified with the Tax Free logo).
You can process the refund at the airport or terminal, or through the mailboxes set up at all the exit points of the country.
What do you need to process the VAT reimbursement?
✅ Card or voucher issued by the National Direction of Migration.
✅ Passport or Identity Card.
✅ Original invoice type B or ticket invoice type B.
✅ Refund check with the amount of the refund.
Stores opening hours
Shopping malls are open every day of the week, from 10 am to 10 pm. Markets are open only at weekends and national public holidays.
Stores are open from around 9 / 10 am and they usually close at 8 / 9 pm.
About the author:
Are you traveling in Buenos Aires? Have a look at these recommended tours!
9-hour Day tour in a ranch with traditional lunch included
Walking tour with a three-course progressive lunch
Visit San Isidro with a tour of the idyllic Tigre Delta