Sitchu Shopping Edit: The Best Gift Stores in Melbourne

It seems like every year we swear we’ll get the Christmas shopping out of the way nice and early, yet, the months roll on by and before we know it, Santa is almost coming to town.

Luckily, Melbourne is filled to the brim with local stores that stock a myriad of gift ideas for our loved ones. So, to help tick things off your list, we’ve pulled together a handy guide listing all our favourite stores around Melbourne, guaranteed to make this year’s Christmas shopping spree a complete breeze.

Fenton & Fenton

Shop Here For: The Dopamine Homemaker

Funky, retro and loud, Fenton & Fenton is a beautiful Melbourne furniture and homewares store that sells unique, elevated pieces perfect for anyone who loves injecting colour into their home. Their smaller homewares including vases, cushions, mirrors and tableware make for thoughtful Christmas presents. Or, if your loved one is moving into a new space, there's no better gift than a voucher to treat themselves to some beautiful furniture.

471 High Street, Prahran

Things Adorable 

Shop Here For: The Collector

While this may technically be a children's clothing store, Things Adorable provides joy for people of all ages—especially if they're a collector. Head in store to get your hands on the viral Sonny Angels and Smiski figurines, an adorable present for anyone who loves quirky knick-knacks. You'll also find kids clothes, adult and kid accessories, and even gifts for pet-owners to use with their perfect pooch.

539 Chapel Street, South Yarra

Locavore Providore

Shop Here For: The Foodie

Looking for the perfect gift for a foodie? Locavore Providore in Lilydale offers a delightful selection of locally and internationally sourced cheeses, pantry essentials, and gourmet snacks. Fill a picnic basket with cheeses, burnt honey salad dressing, granola, spice mixes, and Proximal Coffee for an unforgettable foodie hamper. You’ll find everything you need to create a thoughtful and delicious gift!

148 Main Street, Lilydale

Thinkers & Makers

Shop Here For: Gifts Everyone Will Love 

Thinkers & Makers is an amazing gift shop that stocks local to support local —and you're guaranteed to find the perfect present here. The store stocks plenty of quirky, cute and stylish goods and handmade artisanal wares for yourself or your loved ones, from homewares to stationery and cookbooks to accessories.

800 High Street, Thornbury

Millie Savage

Shop Here For: The Jewellery Savant

Millie Savage’s eclectic and electric designs turbocharge any outfit. Not just jewellery but miniature pieces of art, her instantly recognisable earrings, necklaces and bracelets make presents that will be treasured forever. Shop these colourful beauties online or at her Fitzroy shop and studio.

337 Smith Street, Fitzroy 

Pinky's Store

Shop Here For: Your Colour-Loving Bestie

Say hello to Pinky's, a friendly and unpretentious space where colour is the name of the game. The shop 'baby' of designer Emily Green and stylist Beckie Littler, explore their large range of ceramics, homewares, jewellery and kids stuff. Pinky's brings together the work of both Australian and international makers and designers; it's the place to shop for almost any kind of gift, big or small. 

28 Gilbert Road, Preston 

Le Labo

Shop Here For: Your Most Scent-sational Friend 

Cult parfumerie Le Labo is a perennial favourite of those in the know. The New York-born label’s sought after scents are made in small batches and hand labelled, making them a special present for the stylish person in your life. Test out their distinctive scents at Le Labo’s Fitzroy boutique, where they also sell candles, home fragrances and body products that smell utterly divine.

183 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy

Food For Everyone

Shop Here For: The Conscious Foodie

Founded by Melbourne artist Gemma Leslie, Food For Everyone is a culinary poster shop working with chefs to turn their recipes into covetable artwork. Affordable artwork too, that helps feed people in need. 10 meals are donated for each poster sold. Love Florian's Euro-feels and divinely simple food? Have a pasta-loving friend who adores Emiko Davies and taglioni al limone? These are the posters to frame and wrap this Christmas. 

55 Cromwell Street, Collingwood

Maison Balzac

Shop Here For: The Entertainer

Maison Balzac’s delicate glass tableware is the season’s must have for on-trend hosts, gracing modish restaurants and editorial spreads everywhere. Their gently hued champagne glasses, carafes and tumbler sets make a winning present, particularly if you’ve been invited over to a dinner party. 

156 High Street, Armadale

CIBI

Shop Here For: The Japanophile 

Named after the Japanese word for “little one”, CIBI stocks simple, functional items that blend Japanese sensibilities with the Australian lifestyle. Browse imported artisanal homewares, original CIBI merch, whimsical décor and grocery items like sweet chilli miso, yuzu ponzu and shichimi spices that will supercharge any Japanese food enthusiast’s home cooking. 

33/39 Keele Street, Collingwood 

Happy Valley

Shop Here For: The Culture Vulture

Happy Valley owner Chris Crouch personally curates every book, vinyl and item that’s displayed in his joyful Collingwood store. Sourcing the most interesting, eclectic and desired titles from all over Melbourne and the world, you’re guaranteed to find something to delight your lucky recipient. Whether they love fiction, design, cooking, graphic novels, jazz or hip-hop, this treasured independent store has a present with their name all over it.

294 Smith Street, Collingwood 

NGV Design Store

Shop Here For: The Gallery Lover 

You’re always guaranteed to find a cracker present when you visit the National Gallery of Victoria’s Design Store. Collaborating with leading local and international designers and makers, NGV offers unique and contemporary products that they’ll love unwrapping, like a tote bag printed with Kelly Doley’s feminist posters, or any of their inspiring coffee table art books.

180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne

Botanicah

Shop Here For: The Plant Obsessive 

Happy Plant-mas! This sprawling, inner city plant warehouse is a mecca for enthusiastic plant parents. With 350 square metres to explore, you’re sure to find a new baby for the green thumb in your life at Botanicah. Alongside every varietal you can think of there’s pots, stands, vessels, plant care and accessories that they’ll find practical use for. 

44 Porter Street, Prahran 

Ma House Supply Store

Shop Here For: The Creative Home-Owner

Heaven-sent homewares and designer furniture ensure Ma House Supply Store is an unforgettable experience...and a fantastic spot for splurging on a loved one this Christmas. Combining a brilliant mix of vintage and new objects and designers, the eclectic range includes one-of-a-kind furniture pieces and newer objects like those fruit-and-veg style candles by Nonna's Grocer. 

 54 Johnston Street, Collingwood

Made In Japan

Shop Here For: The Food-Aficionado

As their name suggests, South Melbourne store Made In Japan has been importing high-quality tableware and homewares from Japan for over 25 years. Here you’ll find products seldom seen outside the land of the rising sun, ones that are often only used in restaurants in the areas surrounding the makers’ kilns.

1-7 Wynyard Street, South Melbourne

Pickings and Parry

Shop Here For: The Dapper Gentleman

Pickings and Parry is a one-stop shop for stylish gentlemen: there’s a barber shop with proper old-timey chairs out back, while in the front is a menswear store selling products suited to men of refined taste. You’ll find sleek products across grooming, luggage, stationery and homewares that’ll have them entering the new year feeling fresh and fly.

Shop 3/166 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy 

Cottage Industry

Shop Here For: The Cottage-Core Confidant

Cottage Industry is grounded in both the functional and the handmade, with a strong focus on textiles. They create a great deal of their stock in a studio down the road, but they also search the world for fair-trade, ethical and artisanal products. The store is constantly changing and evolving with different stock, from fashion finds to home textiles and everything in between. You can even pick up some gorgeous garlands and wreaths, that'll never go out of season or style. 

67 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy

Zetta Florence

Shop Here For: The Old School Letter Writer

Letter writing and calligraphy seem to be rapidly fading arts, but those who continue to fly the flag for handwriting will love a gift from Zetta Florence. One of Melbourne’s most beautiful stationery stores, they stock a wide variety of ink, felt and ballpoint pens plus luxurious letter sets, journals and notebooks to use them on.

197B Brunswick Street, Fitzroy

Muku

Shop Here For: The New Mum

Everything in this eco-friendly kids and homewares shop feels soft as a cloud. Here you’ll find adorable clothing, knitted toys and furnishings made from natural materials like linen, cotton and cashmere. There’s something for mum too, with cosy scarves and poofy cushions that are like wearing a big warm hug. 

68/70 Glen Eira Road, Ripponlea

That Paper Joint

Shop Here For: The Avid Arts & Crafts Pal 

Envelope yourself inside That Paper Joint, Melbourne's dedicated collage studio, workshop & gallery space for a unique gift that will leave the arts & crafts guru in your life smiling. You might want to book them in for a cut & paste workshop, or perhaps they're collage connoisseurs, in which case one of the shop's many beautiful collage packs will fit the bill nicely. 

544 Sydney Road, Brunswick 

Frankie + Coco

Shop Here For: The Beach Babe

Reflecting its locale with products that sport a distinctly coastal feel, Hampton’s Frankie + Coco sells a diverse range of clothing, accessories, homewares and “fun in the sun” items that make great summertime gifts. There are disco beach balls, luxe pool rings and beach paddle sets for play, plus breezy dresses and cute swim sets to play with them in.

398 Hampton Street, Hampton

Electric Confetti

Shop Here For: The Young and Young & Heart

Regular Pinners and Instagrammers will already be on board with neon signage. And for those of you who aren’t, there’s a store over in Brighton that has you covered. They’ve got something for everyone, from a Little Dinosaur neon fit for a kid’s bedroom to a ‘You Wanna Pizza Me’ sign for your pun-loving mate.

40 Station Street, Sandringham

Books for Cooks

Shop Here For: The Aspiring Chef

Open for over 25 years, Books for Cooks is a Melbourne institution. This independent, specialist store stocks a whopping 40,000 cookery, food and wine titles, with everything from new releases to rare vintage titles. Every dietary need, cuisine and era is accounted for, and with staff themselves being passionate cooks and gourmands, they can help you find just the right title for your giftee.

115-121 Victoria Street, Melbourne 

A Quirk of Fate (AQOF)

Shop Here For: The Trendy Homebody

Your gift-finding fates are sealed at A Quirk of Fate, Northcote's answer to Christmas shopping nirvana. Selling clothing, footwear, gifts and unique products from local Australian brands, AQOF stocks the likes of Kuwaii and Assembly Label and brings you an array of unique and well made products that make gift-giving and supporting local easy and lots of fun. A real one-stop wonder shop! 

289 High Street, Northcote

The Rose Street Artists' Market

Shop Here For: A Little Bit Of Everything

Hands up if you've been to this iconic Melbourne market? No? You simply must! Rose Street Artists' Market is where you can shop directly from Melbourne's best artists, designers, crafters and makers, which makes Christmas shopping a breeze, no matter who you're buying for.

60 Rose Street, Fitzroy

Rose St Trading Co.

Shop Here For: The Feminine Friend

Shopping in Rose St Trading Co. is like walking through a flourishing rose garden – it’s pretty, it’s whimsical, and you can’t help but want to take everything home with you. Shop here for women’s clothing, jewellery and pampering beauty products. Oh, and there’s even monogramming available in store.

1036 High Street, Armadale 

Crate Expectations

Shop Here For: The Homewares Hoarder

A favourite among both locals and visitors to Malvern, Crate Expectations sells a gorgeous collection of women's accessories, fragrances, tableware and soft furnishings. Drop in here to find that perfect feminine gift and your expectations will indeed be met. And just in case you can’t make your way to this particular store, they also have one in Hampton.

1A Llaneast Street, Armadale

313 Hampton Street, Hampton

Diggin' in the Cellars (DITC)

Shop Here For: The Wine Enthusiast

A carefully curated wine pack from DITC is one of the coolest gifts you can give or receive during the silly season. This online platform now has an in-store location - and whether your nearest in dearest enjoys a wine picnic in the park, is the ultimate dinner host or hostess or simply enjoys a unique tipple, a selection from Diggin' in the Cellars is guaranteed to delight. 

64 Commercial Road, Prahran

Bonnie & Neil

Shop Here For: The Creature of Colour and Comfort

Bonnie & Neil is one of Australia's most popular independent textile brands, and the creation of design duo Bonnie Ashley and Neil Downie. Bringing together their backgrounds in floristry, fine art, textiles, furniture making and set design, they're known for their vibrant collections of handmade products for the home. The extensive product range is functional, colourful, modern and timeless. 

62 Plateau Road, Reservoir

Heartland Records

Shop Here For: The Vinyl Collector

The Woodsfolk

Shop Here For: The Whole Family

All it takes is one look at the bright teal door of Hawthorn store, The Woodsfolk, to know that gift buying here will be a walk in the park. Proudly positioning themselves as a ‘family store’, Woodfolk stocks bright and beautiful presents for everyone, including children, partners, best friends and even furry family members.

39 Church Street, Hawthorn 

Looking for more holiday cheer? Be sure to scroll through our favourite same day gift delivery services and read where you can buy real Christmas trees.