The main shopping centres are Commercial Road (the pedestrianised high street in central Portsmouth — chain stores, no character) and Gunwharf Quays (designer outlet centre on the waterfront, with brands at 25 to 70 percent off RRP). Albert Road in Southsea is the place for independent shops, vintage clothes, secondhand books, and records.
The Charlotte Street Market runs Tuesday to Sunday — fruit, veg, fish, and a friendly mix of stallholders that survives despite the chain stores nearby. Castle Road in Southsea is the strip for antiques and curio shops; the small bookshops along Albert Road and Marmion Road are worth a browse.