Spencer Plaza is one of Chennai's finest & largest shopping mall and covers over a million square feet. In Spencer Plaza complex, leading names like food world, music world, health & glow, vummidiars, van heusen, proline, arrow, american express, allen solly besides a lot of retailers dealing with jewellery, domestic appliances, leather goods and handicrafts are housed. In Spencer Plaza other comforts like central air-conditioning, smooth-moving escalators to the first and second floors, glass capsule lifts to all the seven floors, well-lit atriums, info-desks are available. The shopping area spreads across ground, first and second floors. Office units are spread between fourth and seventh floors. An exclusive car park is located partially in the second floor, and fully in the third floor.
For conventional items and handicrafts, Government Emporiums offer wide variety of choice at fixed rate. Victoria Technical Institute at Anna Salai offers handicrafts from all over the country. Central Cottage Industries Emporium in Temple Towers Anna Salai again offers good stuff.
SIPA'S Craftlink at Kodambakkam High Rd is South India's first fair price shop which supports local artisans. You can buy variety of locally made handicrafts, textiles and papier-mache items at reasonable prices.
Cane'n'Bamboo at Egmore stocks textiles and handicrafts sourced from charity based craft cooperatives at lower prices than most of the Emporiums.

Cane'n'Bamboo at Egmore stocks textiles and handicrafts sourced from charity based craft cooperatives at lower prices than most of the Emporiums.
Naturally Auroville at Khaddar Nawaz Khan Rd sells beautiful clothes, shoes, ceramics and wide range of toiletries handmade in the Auroville community. You can get organic foodstuff also here.
For finest Kanchipuram silks Vardharams at Harrington Rd Chetput has good collection. Co-optex Egmore sells Kanchipuram silks from their own cooperatives. Nallis is also famous for exclusive range of silks and sarees.
If you like large air-conditioned complexes go to Spencer Plaza Anna Salai, Shopper's Stop Harrington Rd, Globus or GeeGee Emerald Plaza MG Road all have range of shops selling famous brands of clothing, books, music, children toys and accessories etc.
For ready made clothes and accessories try Lifestyle at TTK Road, Westside at Spencer Plaza, Saga Departmental stores.

The Thyagaraya Nagar district known locally as T Nagar is a great place to shop especially at Pondy Bazaar and bustling markets around Panagal Park. Pothy's at Usman Rd offers wide range of silks, cottons, saries etc. Here you will also find huge multistory shops like Lalitha Jewellery, and Prince Jewellery selling astonishing range of gold, silver and diamond jewellery.
If you are interested in cheap fabrics then you should also visit, small footpath fabric bazaar sets up in the afternoons in the lane next to Co-optex Egmore.
Raahat Plaza near Vadapalani is one of the most beautiful and tidy complexes in Chennai.Shop for garments, books, toys, multimedia/electronics, computers, music-related items, greeting cards, etc. A food mall and an exclusive showroom for Sony are also there. On the ground floor, there is a mega shop, an exclusive supermarket, from where one can buy many useful items.
Parrys Corner also has many shops selling almost everything. Nearby is the famous Burma Bazaar where all sorts of imported goods can be purchased.
There are many shops in Nungambakkam selling a variety of goods and a stroll along these places is quite likely to catch your eyes.
For books, CDs, cards and other novelties, visit Landmark at Nungambakkam or Fountain head at Mylapore. The most popular bookshops are Higginbothams, BookPoint (Anna Salai) and The Bookshop at Spencer Plaza. The Giggles Bookshop at Taj Connemara hotel is also well stocked. Second hand booksellers set up shop along Anna Salai in the afternoon. You can find decent English language books with little patience.