St. Patrick Street is the main shopping thoroughfare, though many stores are scattered throughout the city on side streets and in lanes. In general, shops are open Monday to Saturday 9:30am to 6pm, unless indicated otherwise. In the summer, many shops remain open until 9:30pm on Thursday and Friday, and some are open on Sunday.

Winthrop Arcade, off Winthrop Street, is the best of a handful of covered shopping arcades in the city. The main full-size shopping mall is Merchant’s Quay Shopping Centre, Merchant’s Quay and St. Patrick Street.

Cork’s best department store is Brown Thomas, 18-21 St. Patrick Street, its three floors filled with the same kind of upscale items found in the main branch in Dublin. Just next door is the Cork outpost of another popular department store, Debenhams, 12-17 St. Patrick Street, a particularly good bet for clothes and housewares.