Shopping in Caracas centres on the malls of the eastern districts. Centro Sambil in Chacao is the largest and best-known — six floors of stores, a cinema multiplex, and a food court, busy at weekends. Centro San Ignacio, also in Chacao, is the city's most fashionable mall, with international labels, design boutiques, and the bars and restaurants that fill its terraces at night. CCCT in Chuao and Sambil La Candelaria are alternative options.
For something more local, the Boulevard of Sabana Grande is a long pedestrian street between Plaza Venezuela and Chacaíto, lined with mid-range clothing shops, electronics, and street vendors — a slice of the old commercial Caracas. El Hatillo, the colonial village, has the best concentration of craft and folk-art shops in the metropolitan area, selling work from across Venezuela.
Premium chocolate from Venezuelan cacao (Franceschi, Krön, Mantuano) makes the best souvenir; pick it up at the airport, at any decent supermarket, or at the brand boutiques in Las Mercedes and Altamira. Local rum — Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva, Pampero Aniversario, Santa Teresa 1796 — is similarly world-class and widely available.