Most come to Mooloolaba for the beach, but the shopping is the reason you’ll end up staying longer than you planned. The Esplanade catches your eye and suddenly you’re three boutiques deep with a coffee in one hand and three bags in the other.
The strip and its surrounds have an amazing mix of independent boutiques, local picks, swimwear specialists and jewellers, and a relaxed atmosphere that makes spending an afternoon shopping feel like exactly the right call.
Here’s where to start:
Jane by Minimal Edit
On River Esplanade, Jane by Minimal Edit is the boutique for anyone after something considered and coastal without being predictable. Amy curates a tight edit of dresses, sets and resort wear that works equally well for a beach afternoon or a waterfront dinner.
New stock drops every Wednesday, and the sets collection in particular is worth a look. This store makes packing for a weekend away significantly more fun.
Avenue J Jewellery
For anyone who takes their jewellery seriously, Avenue J is the Mooloolaba stop. The pieces here are the kind that will get you noticed. Fine jewellery, an extraordinary range of gemstones spanning Georgian antiques through to contemporary fine jewellery, and one-of-a-kind designs that sit well above the average coastal gift shop.
Owner Sue has been curating the collection for years and it absolutely shows. Whether you’re after something specific or just browsing the cabinets, it’s worth the time. The emerald pieces are our personal favourite.
Sundaze
A family owned and operated Esplanade institution, Sundaze stocks the swimwear brands that Sunny Coast locals live in. Bond-eye, Tigerlily, Seafolly, Rhythm, Jets. Sundaze gives you a well-edited range without the overwhelm of a department store.
If you’re after swimwear that actually fits and lasts, this is the right stop. Bonus: there’s two stores in Mooloolaba, one at each end of the Esplanade!
Coast Girl Fashion
New arrivals land daily at Coast Girl, which makes it a shop that rewards return visits. Located right on the Esplanade, it’s built around trending fashion for beach days, date nights and everything in between, and it moves fast. Something that was in the window on Saturday might be gone by Sunday. Worth checking in on even if you’ve been before.
Zambezee
Zambezee has been on the Esplanade since 1997, which makes it one of the longest-standing boutiques on the strip. Co-founded by mother and daughter duo Lorelei Bedford and Natalie Hanley, it stocks a considered range of quality Australian and international labels — Camilla, Alèmais, Mela Purdie, Trelise Cooper among them.
The focus is on fit, quality and wearability across a range of ages and sizes, and it’s got many regulars who’ve been coming back for decades. A Mooloolaba staple in the truest sense.
Elmari Boutique
Tucked inside Sirocco Resort on the Esplanade, Elmari is one of those stores you might walk past without realising it’s there, which would be a huge mistake. The first Elmari opened in Mooloolaba over two decades ago and the loyal following it has built since says everything about the experience inside.
Sophisticated, wearable pieces with the kind of personalised service that makes shopping feel easy rather than exhausting. Completely worth seeking out.
Meraki Thread Co
Out at The Wharf, Meraki Thread Co sits on the water’s edge and stocks a hand-picked range of Australian-designed women’s labels — Arnhem, resort wear, coastal fashion done well. It’s a little removed from the main Esplanade strip which means it gets missed by people who don’t know to look for it, but that’s exactly the discovery that makes a Mooloolaba shopping day feel worth it.
The best Mooloolaba shopping days follow the same loose route. Start on the Esplanade, work your way along and finish at the Wharf. Park once, walk everything, and leave with more than you planned to. That’s the idea.
Meet me in Mooloolaba to shop ‘til you drop.