Since 1989 hundreds of new shops have opened across Warsaw and the main areas are around Nowy Swiat, Aleja Jerozolimskie, Ulica Marszalkowska and Ulica Chmielna. Most major Western Stores have branches in the city centre, and despite the 22% VAT on goods in Poland, you can still pick up some bargains when you compare prices to those you would see in the UK
Some of the best buys in Warsaw are the locally produced goods such as jewellery, leather goods, and painted dolls.
The largest flea market in Europe can be found in the former national stadium in the Praga area of Warsaw. You can buy pretty much anything you can think of at one of the stalls including very good value leather ware. The Market is open from 6am until around noon every day, but you should be aware that most of the stalls only accept payment in cash, and the area is prone to petty theft, and pick-pocketing, so don't carry anything of great value.
Shopping hours are in no way fixed in Warsaw, and shops tend to open and close later than in Western Europe. As a rule, shops are normally open Monday to Friday from around 10am - 7pm, and on Saturday from 10am until around 3pm.
