Australia’s fashion, food and shopping capital will come alive this May, with the highly anticipated return of the City of Melbourne’s Shop the City campaign.
Shoppers will enjoy hundreds of unique offers, giveaways, discounts and freebies scattered across the city’s iconic streets, laneways and shopping precincts from Friday 5 May to Sunday 7 May.
For the first time, the event will feature an exclusive pop-up hub in the heart of Bourke Street Mall – showcasing a range of offers and freebies available.
The hub will be home to an array of entertainment experiences, including:
- Exclusive live performances from local artists
- Instagram-worthy photo moments
- The chance to win prizes including retail gift cards, entertainment and dining vouchers
- Free samples from some of Melbourne’s most-loved brands, including Go-To, MOR Boutiques and San Pellegrino.
Shop the City concierge carts will also pop up across the weekend at multiple shopping hotspots, offering exclusive access to tastings, freebies and promotions.
This year, shoppers can enter the Shop the City competition to go into the draw to win major prizes, including the ultimate Melbourne weekend experience. Visitors will enter the competition by scanning a unique QR code in each location at activation sites around the city.
Shop the City is expected to draw big crowds – building on the momentum of Melbourne’s sustained bounce back, supporting city traders and turbo-charging the local economy.
In December 2022, a record $1.1 billion was spent across the city – with the highest average daily spend and pedestrian activity on Saturdays.
Last month, pedestrian activity near Town Hall was at 105 per cent of pre-pandemic levels – with activity peaking on Saturday 11 March at 140 per cent of the pre-pandemic benchmark.
The City of Melbourne would like to acknowledge and thank its event partners: Funday Natural Sweets, Go-To, Homedics, MOR Boutiques, Naked Life, Remedy Drinks and San Pellegrino.
To find out more about the Shop the City weekend, visit What’s On Melbourne.
Quotes attributable to Acting Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece
“It’s time to shop until you drop. From iconic hidden laneways and locally owned boutiques to major shopping precincts with international brands, no city does it better than Melbourne.”
“Last year, Shop the City saw 200,000 visitors flock to Melbourne’s inner city – injecting $26.6 million into the economy across the weekend.”
“We’re encouraging every proud Melburnian and visitor to our great city to celebrate our unique offerings, while providing our local traders with a much-needed boost.”
Quotes attributable to City Activation deputy portfolio lead Councillor Jamal Hakim
“Shop the City is back – and we’re ready to welcome shoppers from near and far for an unmissable weekend of retail therapy in the city that does shopping best.”
“Whether you’re a savvy shopper or lover of exclusive offers and freebies, there’s something in store for everyone.”
“We know campaigns like this generate a significant windfall for retailers, and the thousands of jobs they support.”