With autumn on the way, there’s no better time to indulge in some retail therapy. In Brussels, we are spoilt for choice with a wide array of shopping options – from high-end luxury boutiques to quirky independent shops and second-hand stores.
If you’re new to the city, you might be wondering where locals go when they want to hit the shops. Whether you’re after clothes and shoes, or arts and antiques, this guide should give you the inspiration you need to shop ‘til you drop.
Shopping malls and department stores
If you prefer to do your shopping away from the elements, Brussels has plenty of good shopping malls and department stores.
Located right in the centre of the city on Rue Neuve, City2 is probably the city’s best-known and most popular mall. Here, you will find well-known high street brands like H&M, Mango and Zara. There is also a large FNAC store in the shopping centre, where you can buy books, electronics and games.
Outside of the city centre in the upmarket municipality of Woluwe Saint-Lambert, Woluwe Shopping Centre is a perennial favourite with expats. It is reputed for its wide range of shops and restaurants, and like City2, has all the familiar high street brands, as well as a Carrefour supermarket.
Woluwe Shopping Centre in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert. Credit: Belga.
Relatively speaking, Docks Bruxsel is the new kid on the block, having opened its doors in 2016. Offering a “unique urban experience” near the Brussels canal, it now has over 100 shops, bars and restaurants and is a good option if you have teenagers to entertain. There is a cinema onsite, as well as an amusement arcade where kids can while away the hours while you shop.
In Belgium, INNO (formerly known as Galeria Inno) is the major department store brand, equivalent to the UK’s John Lewis or Printemps in France. Brussels has four INNO stores: one on Rue Neuve, one in Woluwe Shopping Centre, one in Bascule Village in Uccle and one near Louise metro station.
INNO sells everything you would expect in a high-end department store: perfumes, toiletries, clothes and accessories, and stocks big (and expensive) brands like Gant, Hugo Boss and Tommy Hilfiger.
Shopping arcades
For old-world style and quality, head to one of the city’s magnificent shopping arcades – predecessors to the malls of today. In the city centre, there are a number of world-class galeries where you can shop undercover in stunning surroundings.
The Galeries Saint-Hubert opened in 1847 and is the most celebrated arcade in Brussels. Its specialist shops sell everything from stationary to handmade gloves and once you've had your fill of shopping you can watch the world go by from one of the arcade’s charming cafes.
Brussels has some magnificent indoor shopping galleries. Credit: Andréa Villiers/Unsplash.
The recently-renovated Galerie Bortier, known for antique shops and secondhand books, is the perfect place for a spot of window-shopping. Make sure you stop at Kawa Club literary café for a bite to eat while you’re there.
Shopping streets and districts
Sometimes referred to as the “Champs Elysee of Brussels”, Avenue Louise in Ixelles is the city’s best-known shopping street. The 3km-long avenue stretches from metro Louise right up to the edge of the Bois de la Cambre and boasts a number of luxury stores and chic boutiques.
On nearby Avenue de la Toison d’Or/Boulevard de Waterloo, you’ll find high-end shops like the Apple Store and Filigranes, one of the city’s emblematic bookstores.
Just off Avenue Louise is Rue du Bailli, where you can enjoy a more lowkey (but still very chic) shopping experience. Rue du Bailli is a great place to go if you’re looking for something unique. The street is lined with independent clothes shops and smaller boutiques. After your retail therapy you can relax in one of the bars or cafes on Place Châtelain.
Shoppers on Avenue Louise. Credit: The Brussels Times
Staying in Ixelles, if you’re after a bargain or you want to shop in familiar high street shops like Uniqlo and Zara, head to Porte de Namur/Chaussee d’Ixelles. The street also has several health and beauty stores (including Di! and Kruidvat) where you can buy inexpensive toiletries. Further down, you’ll find general stores like Bab Marrakech which sell home essentials like pots and pans at knockdown prices.
Rue Neuve is main shopping street in the city centre. On weekends, it gets very busy as jostling crowds of locals and tourists head there in search of bargains. The street has familiar brands like Mango and H&M, as well as a big Primark store.
If you’re in the mood for something less frenetic, a mooch around the Marolles and Sablon districts might be just what you’re looking for. In chic Sablon, there are world-renowned antiques shops and home décor stores alongside some of the finest chocolate shops in the country.
The flea market in the Marolles is popular throughout the year. Credit: Orlando Whitehead.
Nearby Marolle is a bargain-hunter’s paradise, and has a totally different vibe to Sablon. There, you’ll find fabulous vintage stores, quirky gift shops and upcycling stores. If you’re visiting in the morning, don’t miss the famous flea market at the Place du Jeu de Balle which (unusually for Belgium) is open 365 days a year.
Last but not least, the Dansaert district in Brussels city centre is a lovely place to shop on a sunny autumn day. It’s always been the city’s fashion hub, and there are still lots of vintage shops and independent boutiques selling goods made by local designers.
The area is full of lovely bars, cafes and bookshops, and the area around Sainte-Catherine metro has a cool, cosmopolitan vibe that can’t be beaten.
