Most shops open between 9.00am and 5.30pm although supermarkets (Tesco in the town centre, Morrisons on the outskirts) are open later. In the summer, an increasing number of shops are staying open in the evening. Sunday opening is now more common, especially in summer and on the four Sundays before Christmas. A few shops close on Thursday afternoons. St Andrews has five local holiday Mondays, mostly during the early half of the year, but not all shops take all of them.

Banks are mostly open Monday to Friday from 9.15 to 4.45, except on Bank Holidays. Bureau de Change facilities are available at most banks.

Tax free shopping is a possibility in many shops for visitors from outside the European Community.