Shopping and transportation
When you first arrive in Melbourne, you’ll probably be eager to discover where to shop for food and other items, and how to get around. Explore your many options.
Check out your local shopping centres. Even though you may pay less elsewhere, you’ll find these centres convenient.
| Campus | Closest shopping centres |
|---|---|
| Caulfield |
|
| Clayton |
|
| Parkville |
|
| Peninsula |
|
Opening hours
Department stores and most other shops are open:
- Monday to Wednesday 9am – 5pm
- Thursday to Friday 9am – 9pm
- Saturday 9am – 6pm
- Sunday 10am – 5pm.
Major supermarkets are usually open until midnight. Convenience stores (e.g. 7-Eleven) at petrol stations stay open 24 hours a day, but you’ll generally pay more at these stores than you would at supermarkets.
Where to buy what you need
Supermarkets and large markets
Discount variety and department stores
Chemists and healthcare services
Other shops and services
How to pay for goods and services
The final total price of your purchase (if paying by cash) is rounded down or up to the nearest five cents. This means, for example, you won’t get change if you pay $10 for a $9.98 item.
In Australia, you can pay in person for goods and services with:
- cash
- credit or debit card via an electronic processing system called EFTPOS (where you can sometimes withdraw cash when you make a purchase)
- lay-by (layaway) where the seller holds an item for you while you pay in instalments after leaving a deposit
- payWave or PayPass where you just tap your credit or debit card on a device to make a payment up to $100 without entering a PIN and more if you enter a PIN
- buy now, pay later services (e.g. Zip, Afterpay and humm) where you can get the item right away while you pay in instalments.
Ask about the availability of these services when you’d like to buy something and check if there are any extra charges or interest. When relying on credit, make sure you have the means to pay back what you owe.
In Australia, a product’s displayed cost is generally fixed and includes government taxes. Although bartering or haggling for a lower price is not generally done here, it’s acceptable in places such as garage sales, community markets and used-car dealers.
You’ve got lots of safe, convenient ways to travel around Melbourne and Victoria, as well as between Monash campuses. Check them out.