Sociedade de Amigos das Adjacências da Rua da Alfândega, better known as SAARA, is a collection of over 600 stores encompassing Andradas, Passos, Alfândega and Buenos Aires streets, in addition to Praça da República. At this wonderfully vibrant market, frequented mostly by locals, one can find all manner of things at extremely reasonable rates. For a unique shopping experience in Rio, SAARA is the place to check out.
If you find yourself in Rio on the first Saturday of the month and don't fancy the beach, there are few better ways to while away an afternoon than by strolling through the amassed piles of antiques and oddities that line Rua Lavradio at this monthly fair. Watch as all the shops fling open their shutters and display their often beautiful, often crumbly old furniture. You can pick up black and white photographs, antique bottles or arte naife, and try some wonderful food from any of the hundreds of stalls. Several good restaurants also line the far end of the road, offering the perfect pit stop if you're feeling a tad shopped out.
Seeing the prices in drugstores and many clothing outlets, visitors to Rio can often be left wondering just how locals afford to look so good. Very often, the answer lies here in Uruguaiana. Mercado Popular da Uruguaiana is a vast space of interlocking market squares – some covered, some open air, selling everything from football shirts and sportswear to jewelery, cosmetics, and necessities such as deodorant and batteries. All are available at much cheaper prices than in the shops, but be aware, this is not a market aimed at tourists– don't venture here after dark, and keep your wallet out of sight.
Cadeg is the municipal shopping market of Rio De Janeiro and is home to an array of different products and services. Located at a prime spot in the neighborhood of Benfica, this market is always abuzz with activity. Right from flowers and footwear, to grocery and clothing, you will find everything here. The innumerable services at the market include restaurants, bakeries, pharmacies, salons and bars. So if you are looking for some retail therapy and have prepared your mind to shop till you drop, then this market is a must visit.
Since the late 1960s, at the peak of the hippie movement, this huge outdoor market has been selling everything from handicrafts, silver jewelry, paintings, furniture and sculptures, to old clothes and typical regional food from the North and Northeast of the country. Occasionally you can spot a famous artist mingling in the crowd, which is made up mostly by tourists, especially foreign. It is not hard to find an English or French-speaking salesperson.