The Kandy City Centre, a ten-storey commercial complex near the lake, is the main modern shopping mall and houses the country's parliament as a peculiarity of its early funding arrangements — an incongruity that has made it something of a local curiosity. The basement and lower floors have supermarkets and electronics shops useful for supplies; the upper floors have clothing and household goods.
More interesting for visitors is the old market area around Bakers Street and the Kandy municipal market, where the local trade in spices, textiles, and everyday goods operates with considerably more character. The main street along the lakefront (Sri Dalada Veediya) has bookshops, gem shops, and handicraft sellers of variable quality; the Kandyan Arts Association is the most reliable source for genuine traditional crafts.