Plateau Rue du Commerce Shopping District

Rue du Commerce runs through Le Plateau, Abidjan's central business district, and offers a shopping experience closer to a formal high street than an open-air market. The street and its side blocks are lined with fashion boutiques, electronics retailers, pharmacies, and bank branches, serving office workers and residents of the high-rise financial core rather than tourist trade specifically. Goods sold here lean toward branded and semi-branded fashion, phones and small electronics, and pharmacy products, with a mix of local Ivorian labels and imported international brands; the ratio of authentic branded goods to counterfeit is generally higher than in the open-air markets, though some electronics stalls do carry unofficial imports. Prices in boutiques are typically fixed and marked, unlike the bargaining culture of the markets, though street vendors selling accessories along the pavement may still negotiate. Most shops accept cash and increasingly mobile money, with a smaller number of larger stores accepting cards; there is no tax-refund system for retail purchases in Cote d'Ivoire. The atmosphere is more orderly and less crowded than the markets, with a steady flow of office workers during lunch hours, and numerous cafes and fast-food outlets along the street offer places to eat.