4 Best Shopping in Las Vegas, Nevada

Like many an indoor mall, Las Vegas's first (it opened in 1968) was in danger of becoming a "ghost mall" before new owners began a transformation. Bygone anchor stores such as Sears and Dillards were replaced with more activity- and entertainment-oriented draws: a Galaxy cineplex touting the city's largest indoor movie screen, a SeaQuest Aquarium, and John's Incredible Pizza, overflowing with rides and bumper cars. The latest addition plays to the changing demographics of the neighborhood: the Mercado is a separately themed area styled like a street market, hosting small-business food and retail vendors.

The likes of Pharrell Williams, M.I.A., and Rihanna have intersected with this boutique that fuses the old with the new. Men's and women's vintage Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Alexander McQueen, and more can be found here. You'll also uncover up-and-comers just making their mark at this urban-meets-tribal-meets-geek-meets-hipster store in a strip mall near the UNLV campus.

Las Vegas has its own branch of this small West Coast–centric chain, with a location in a strip mall near Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. It's the authority on premium sneakers and street wear. Look for classic brands sitting next to limited-edition pieces, as well as Undefeated, their own label, which collaborates with the big boys to create lustful objects such as the Air Jordan IV Retro and Nike Dunk Hi Ballistic.

This store is for the music lover who enjoys shopping for movies and tunes the old-fashioned way—thumbing through physical copies of albums, CDs, and DVDs. As streaming pummels compact discs into extinction, Zia's vinyl selection has reemerged to claim at least an equal amount of floor space. With DVDs and Blu-rays also on life support, Zia—which bills itself as "The Last Record Store"—is now the rare place to find obscure cult movies, which are now only remastered in small batches. Zia now devotes more of its huge floor to games, books, T-shirts, and novelties; not unlike a bigger, hipper Spencer Gifts. There's also a more compact location in west Las Vegas at 1216 S. Rainbow Boulevard.