Einzigart
This is a nice design store that is at the same time a platform for innovative Swiss and international design and presents new stuff at exhibitions. I really like the store although it is expensive, but it's worth just to go and look a the stuff they have - from the kitchen tool to beds. Josefstrasse 36.
Freitag Store
I long thought about if I should write about this store... it's even discussed in Wallpaper (which I don't like by the way, just that you don't get me wrong). Nevertheless, this is one of the coolest store ever and so I have to take it on the my little page of recommendations. It is a store built of containers (I once crossed the Atlantic with a freighter, so I am really fond of these containers) and if you go on top, there is an observation deck where you can look over the industrial area of Zurich (this is another affection of mine). This store - of course - sells the world wide known bags made out of used truck tarps. Geroldstrasse 17.
I took this picture in January 2007, if you want to see some more of my pictures, check tonlistarlega's photos (yes, that's my pseudonym) on http://www.flickr.com.
Jamarico
This is a pretty good record store (for vinyl and cd) for indie music. You can spend there quite long and listen to the recommended (or other) records. The employees have a good knowledge of music and are very helpful. Oh yeah, it is also an "urban clothing" store... whatever that means. I mostly go straight to the second floor and look for the newest "jam tips" (recommendations)... unfortunately, I was already disappointed once when they didn't have a band I really wanted to buy that day. Stauffacherstrasse 95.
Karbonmusik
This was a good record store for experimental and independent music. Unfortunately it had to close down and is only a mailorder now.
Melvins
This is definitely a good clothing store for men and women - and it is affordable. Josefstrasse 8.
Migros
This is a Swiss legend. It is THE grocery store every little kid gets to know the whole story behind it... check wikipedia to find out about it. You can find it on every corner (although the biggest competition Coop is also to find at every corner). To clue about it is that has (although it started to have in recent years now) no brands - except its own. And Migros is famous to copy all the famous brands and give it a similar but other name (sometimes with really good hidden jokes that only people who understand Swiss German can get), so you will always know to what the product refers to. For example, it started to produce - in reference to the Freitag (Friday) bags - some Donnerstag (Thursday) bags. This was not the only time though, where a had to draw back the product because of a court judgment. If you have a Donnerstag bag now though, you are way cooler than all the Freitag bags owners... The newest clue is the M-Budget line they are producing, a cheap product line all in ugly green with the name Migros in white written on it. The design is so ugly that it is cool again. I have an M-Budget Mobile phone and everyone is jealous... And don't be surprised to see also gas stations of Migros (Migrol) and lots of other things.
Rec Rec
This is a record store but also a company that distributes, license and produces records for every kind of music. Schoentalstrasse 21.
Buchhandlung am Helvetiaplatz
And at the end, I recommend two bookstores that have a very good selection. This one has a good selection of novels (also English ones) and books about politics, political theory. But the have also other stuff like travel guides. Stauffacherstrasse 60.
Sec52
This one is a good bookstore for art, although it has also a selection of novels. Josefstrasse 52.