148 Best Shopping in Washington, USA

If your life is missing a punching-nun puppet, an Edgar Allen Poe action figure, or a bacon-scented air freshener, there's hope. Leave your cares and woes at the door and step into a warehouse of the weird and wonderful. It's nearly impossible to feel bad while perusing stacks of armadillo handbags, demon rubber duckies, handerpants (don't ask), and homicidal unicorn play sets. Grab a cat-in-a-can to keep you company or leave with a dramatic chipmunk oil painting. You'll feel better. Trust us.

This independent studio makes some of the most stunning, yet affordable, jewelry you can find. Impressively simple, each design manages to be unique, giving them an elegant and modern edge. While the business has outgrown using the same space as both production and store, you can still stop by to shop all the hand-crafted, locally made necklaces, earrings, and bracelets in the light-filled corner shop.

One of the city's liveliest and most interesting farmers’ markets fills a plaza and spills onto a side street. There's fresh produce galore, prepared foods including Ethiopian cuisine and ice pops, plus music, samples, and plenty of cut flowers. The market is open Sunday from 11 am to 3 pm.

A lovely stop as you begin a drive down scenic Chuckanut Drive, this sprawling space showcases works in all media by more than 400 artisans, including contemporary art glass and furniture and housewares crafted from local materials. Stroll through the lush sculpture garden to see the array of colorful works for yards and patios. 

With an array of upscale, seaside luxe-living essentials like soy candles (hand-poured on-site in small batches in scents like sailcloth, fog, moss, and water), this high-ceilinged, brick-walled home-design and gift boutique smells as good as it looks. Look for furniture fashioned from reclaimed wood, nautical-theme throw pillows, jewelry, seashells, and air plants in recycled-glass terrariums. There's a second location on Bainbridge Island.

Attention foodies: clear out your hotel minibars and make room for delectable treats from DeLaurenti (open until 5 pm daily). And, if you're planning any picnics, swing by here first. Imported meats and cheeses crowd the deli cases, and packaged delicacies pack the aisles. Stock up on hard-to-find items like truffle-infused olive oil or excellent Italian vintages from the wine shop upstairs.

Owned by an Orcas Island–born sommelier who worked at restaurants in Vail and Vegas before returning home, this cheerful little bottle shop and tasting room in Eastsound has a great selection of wine, beer, and cider from around the world, including a wine series, the Orcas Project, that is produced in collaboration with Pacific Northwest winemakers and artists.

A major reason to visit this landmark bookstore—formerly a longtime haunt in Pioneer Square, hence the name—is the great selection of Pacific Northwest history books and fiction titles by local authors, complete with handwritten recommendation cards from the knowledgeable staff. A big selection of bargain books, underground parking, lovely skylights, and an appealing café all sweeten the deal—and the hundreds of author events held every year mean that nearly every day is an exciting one for dropping by.

On weekdays or any Saturday when there's a football home game, you can pop into Ferdinand's, an ice-cream and cheese shop in Washington State University's food-science building, to buy aged Cougar Gold, a cheddar-type cheese in a can. Ice cream is made daily from milk from the university's dairy cows and served in cones, dishes, shakes, malts, floats, sundaes, and banana splits to enjoy on the spot. Or take home a pint, quart, 3-gallon tub, or party pack to share. Espresso drinks are also available and about half the price of a chain coffee shop.

This Seattle institution (helmed by Fran Bigelow) has been making quality chocolates for decades. Its world-famous salted caramels are transcendent—a much-noted favorite of the Obama family—as are delectable truffles, which are spiked with oolong tea, single-malt whiskey, or raspberry, among other flavors. This shop is housed in the elegant Four Seasons on 1st Avenue.

Since 1904, this family farm has been growing and selling cherries, peaches, apples, pears and other local fruit. The historic white clapboard shop also carries pies, muffins, cookies, and tarts. 

Housed in what used to be a 75-year-old five-and-dime store, this distinctive gallery has fine ceramics, textiles, and exquisite crafts by Japanese and Northwest artists; you can also see artifacts from the old store, a part of the original Nihonmachi (Japantown). Items range from something as simple as incense from Kyoto to an enormous painted antique chest. Clothes, books, and gift options abound, all with ties to Japan or the local Japanese community.

Seattle's own retail giant sells quality clothing, accessories, cosmetics, jewelry, and lots of shoes—in keeping with its roots in footwear—including many hard-to-find sizes. Peruse the various floors for anything from trendy jeans to lingerie to goods for the home. A sky bridge on the store's fourth floor will take you to Pacific Place Shopping Center. Deservedly renowned for its impeccable customer service, the busy Downtown flagship has a concierge desk and valet parking.  The Nordstrom Rack store at 1st Avenue and Spring Street, close to Pike Place Market, has great deals on marked-down items.

Stop by this cooperative gallery to see impressive displays of pottery, sculpture, jewelry, art glass, paintings, and quilts by resident artists, including an upstairs gallery devoted to original paintings by well-known Northwest landscape artist James Hardman. You'll find gifts in a wide price range at this wonderful space.

A stroll through the historic house, outbuildings, and gardens of this enchanting arts complex on a bluff overlooking President Channel and Waldron Island is more than just a chance to browse beautiful pottery—it's a great spot simply to relax and soak up the views. More than a dozen regular and guest potters exhibit and sell their wares here, everything from functional dinnerware and mugs to fanciful vases and wall hangings.  Pottery isn't always the most kid-friendly but this place has playful outdoor pieces and a very cool treehouse to check out.

The Owens family established this marvelous smokehouse in 1887 and has been running the self-proclaimed "candy store for the carnivore" ever since. You'll find no processed meats here—just the house-smoked and cured jerky, bacon, sausage, chicken breast, bone-in pork chops, and more, along with a big selection of sauces, condiments, and gourmet goodies. Meat vending machines located throughout the state, including outside this store, mean you can satisfy your cravings day or night.

This venerable aqua farm on the northern end of the peninsula is a must for fresh oysters and clams. You can take your purchases to your lodging or a picnic, or enjoy them, raw or barbecued, on the expansive deck overlooking what's been called America's cleanest estuary, Willapa Bay. The on-site deli also sells beer, wine, and other gourmet goodies. 

Aesthetes and architects haunt this shop, which is stocked with all things design. Rare, international architecture, art, and design books (including titles for children) mingle with high-end products from Alessi and Iittala; sleek notebooks, bags, portfolios, and drawing tools round out the collection. This is a great shop for quirky, unforgettable gifts, like a pentagram typography calendar, an Arne Jacobsen wall clock, or an aerodynamic umbrella.

Located in a renovated warehouse along the Columbia River, this market offers specialty food products, fresh produce from nearby farms, artisanal cheeses, seafood, coffee, gelato, and charcuterie, as well as a few restaurants and gift shops. It's been likened to an eastern Washington version of the much larger and older Pike Place Market in Seattle.

The enormous flagship for Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI) has an incredible selection of outdoor gear—polar-fleece jackets, wool socks, down vests, hiking boots, rain gear, and much more—as well as its own 65-foot climbing wall. The staff is extremely knowledgeable, and there always seems to be enough help on hand, even when the store is busy. You can test things out on the mountain-bike test trail or in the simulated rain booth. REI also rents gear such as tents, sleeping bags, skis, snowshoes, and backpacks. Bonus: they offer an hour of free parking.

Locally designed dresses, hand-made ceramics featuring East Asian ingredients, and cute children's toys from Hawaii somehow all make sense in this small boutique. The owners, both named Kaitlin and from Hawaii, curate an amazing selection of clothes, crafts, jewelry, and home goods, mostly produced in Seattle or by Asian American makers. Their eye for everything classy and cute, from boba tea-shaped cat toys to elegant Czech glass earrings makes shopping fun, and they stock European raincoats and cozy hoodies for men and women if you forgot to bring the right outfit for the weather.

Forget going obsolete—this shop shows how video stores can keep up with modern viewers. One of the biggest and best independent film shops in the country can be found on Roosevelt Way, where 145,000 rare, out-of-production, foreign, and mainstream films are available to rent and buy. Scarecrow's friendly staff are bona fide film geeks—pick their brains for suggestions, or stop by for one of the non-profit shop's many in-store events.

You'll find honey, lavender, sea glass jewelry, pottery, and locally grown produce in abundance at this Saturday market, a tented affair with lots of color and live music, held between early May and late October.

An independent record store that is just the kind of place you would want to find on a Seattle street corner: clean, helpful, and organized, but just a little bit time-worn and too cool. You can count on them to have music from the latest indie darlings alongside the classics, on vinyl, CD, or even cassette tape. If they have one of their free in-store events when you're in the neighborhood, stop in for a unique musical experience.

Tacoma's increasingly vibrant maker culture is showcased at its highly popular night markets, which take place at Foss Waterway Seaport. As many as 80 artists and makers sell their wares at gatherings that run from 5 until 10 pm on Saturday nights and feature music and a slew of food and drinks vendors. The night markets are typically followed the next day by a Sunday brunch market from 11 am to 4 pm.

Since 1980, this enormous three-story bookstore has been an anchor of Fairhaven, bringing literary-minded folks together to shop for recent releases, attend readings and discussions, and socialize amid the shop's several spaces for eating and mingling. These include the Colophon Cafe (a full-service restaurant) and Evolve Chocolate + Cafe on the top floor, whose seating areas have grand views of Bellingham Bay. There's a newer branch in downtown Lynden.

The vast retail space at the Northwest Maritime Center stocks a variety of nautical gifts and gear, from brass fittings and rigging supplies to galley wares, illustrated knot books, and boats in a bottle. There's also a great selection of fleeces, caps, packs, and other outerwear. In the well-lighted back corner overlooking the bay, Velocity Coffee Bar sells espresso and baked goods.

The store's name means "by hand," and that ethos of handmade, high-quality craftsmanship seems soaked into the very (exposed brick) walls of this charming shop. A small selection of shoes from all over the world, along with some jewelry and handbags from local designers can be found here—all of it lovingly selected and much of it unique.

Amateur geologists, curious kids, and anyone fascinated by fossils and gems should make a trip to this store that's almost like a museum (but a lot more fun). Between the 500-million-year-old fossils and the 250-pound amethyst geodes, there's no shortage of eye-popping items on display.