Shopping in Geneva is famously expensive. The main shopping streets are on the left bank between the lake and the cathedral — Rue du Rhône has the international luxury brands and Swiss watch shops, Rue du Marché and Rue de la Confédération the slightly less elevated chains. The big department store is Globus, opposite the Bel-Air bridge.
For watches, Geneva is the world's most concentrated single market for high-end Swiss horology. Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, Rolex and Audemars Piguet all have headquarters here, and the boutiques along Rue du Rhône stock their full ranges. The Patek Philippe Museum on Rue des Vieux-Grenadiers is the best place to understand what you'd be paying for.
In the old town, narrow streets around Grand-Rue have antique dealers, art galleries and specialist bookshops — Geneva is not the place to bargain hunt but if you are after a rare 18th-century print or a piece of Genevan enamelwork, the quality is high.
For everyday food shopping, the Plainpalais market (Tuesday, Friday and Sunday mornings) is the largest open-air market, with produce, cheese, charcuterie and flowers. The Carouge market on Wednesday and Saturday mornings has a more local feel.
The Coop and Migros supermarkets are the cheapest places to buy chocolate, cheese and basic supplies to take home.