Chennai, being one of the metropolitan cities of India, shopping in the city can be fun-filled, with alluring shops offering loads to visitors and tourers. It is one of the most significant commercial addresses in South India. For a shopping lover, there is a lot in store lying hidden in the lanes of the ethnic city. This stands as a stark contrast from the swanky shopping malls in Madras. The new plazas have exceptionally bagged quality and standard for themselves amongst the shoppers. The old market places, as a result, have been reanimated to attract customers.

The escalading competition between the shopkeepers and the mall owners has proved to be a bonus for the buyers. This has given them more diversity and options to choose from. Amongst the conventional shopping destinations in Chennai, there are emporiums, which offer traditional art and craft items handpicked from all over the state.

Specialties from Chennai can be found in the likes of Pattamara mats, leaf handicrafts from Tirunellveli, bronze and brass castings and traditional jewellery from Kumbakonam, metal works from Tanjavur and stone carvings from Mamallapuram and silks from Kanchipuram. Apart from these delectable arrays, there are Government emporiums which offer a wide variety, at fixed prices. Moreover, there is SIPA'S Craft Link at Kodambakkam, which is a fair price shop, backing local craftsmen. Besides, items like handicrafts and papier-mache can also be shopped at reasonable prices in Chennai.

Chennai is one of the important trade centres of south India and is a good place to shop for a large variety of items. There are traditional bell metal items, bronze icons and stone sculptures, as well as other crafts from southern region at the local shops of Chennai. Besides these, the city of Chennai is famous for the beautiful Kanchipuram hand woven silk sarees. These sarees are legendary for their temple borders and rich zari (gold thread) pallavas. Detailed traditional motifs and bright colours with complementary borders make these sarees absolutely wonderful. Even the jewellery made from uncut precious stones makes excellent gift items. In short, shopping in Chennai makes one enriched both in wardrobe and knowledge.