16 Best Places to Shop in Anchorage, Alaska

On weekends from mid-May to September, the Anchorage Market and Festival opens for business in the parking lot at 3rd Avenue and E Street. Dozens of vendors offer Alaskan-made crafts, international imports, and deliciously fattening food. Stock up on birch candy and salmon jerky to snack on while traveling or as perfect made-in-Alaska gifts for friends back home.

In a large Midtown store, Alaska Fur Exchange sells Alaska Native artwork made from ivory, antler, and jade, plus more furs than you can imagine.

This Alaskan-owned store is the go-to specialist for any gear having to do with, yep, mountaineering or hiking (plus packrafting, skiing, and more). Whether you're setting out on a series of day hikes or you're planning a serious climb, the knowledgeable staff can help you choose the right equipment for the task. Take the time to chat up the staff and you may hear some amazing Denali stories.

The secluded liberal arts campus at Alaska Pacific University features a gear room offering low-cost equipment rentals to the public. Pick up items for overnight getaways or in-town adventures, including paddleboards, tents, kayaks, camp stoves, and avalanche gear. Items are limited, so call in advance, and keep in mind that it's open only on weekdays.

Score eco-conscious dresses, weekend wear, and accessories at this forward-thinking women's clothing boutique.

Although furs may not be to everyone's taste or ethics, a number of Alaska fur companies have stores and showrooms in Anchorage. One of the city's largest and best-known furriers is David Green Master Furrier, whose family has been in the fur business in Alaska since 1922.

This laid-back gallery features individually screen-printed T-shirts, satchels, jewelry, and affordable wall art displayed along a sweeping three-story spiral staircase. Most items don't say "Alaska" on them, but everything here is handmade in the state by established and emerging artists.

Housed in a 1915 storefront—one of the first commercial spaces in the city—the Kobuk serves a variety of classic and unique teas, including their signature samovar tea (a samovar is a traditional Russian container used to brew tea). Alaska gifts, treats, and greeting cards line the cluttered walls, and a tiny back-room cafe serves soup, scones, and samovar doughnuts.

Started in 1947 in Fairbanks by Laura Wright, this family business is now owned by Wright's granddaughter, Sheila Ezelle, who sells distinctive Alaskan Iñupiat "parkys" (parkas) for both summer and winter. Although there's no physical store, you can find her booth at Alaska Native craft markets in Anchorage or place an order by phone.

If you're looking for brand names like Pendleton, Simms, and Filson, this locally owned store is your place. It is pretty much fly-fishing central in Anchorage, and you can find expert advice and guidance for your prospective fishing and hunting adventures. Amid the rifles and reels, there's also an excellent array of cozy high-end sweaters and a sizable women's section for all sorts of outdoor activities in Alaska.

The Alaska Native–owned cooperative Oomingmak sells items made of qiviut, the ultra-soft and warm undercoat of musk ox, from inside one of the few small houses remaining in Downtown. Scarves, shawls, hats, and tunics are knitted in traditional patterns by women in villages across Alaska.

If you get to Alaska and discover you've left some critical camping or outdoor recreation gear behind, REI rents camping, skiing, and paddling equipment. It also gives regular seminars on season-specific outdoor topics. The salespeople are very knowledgeable about local conditions and activities and the gear required to get you out and back safely.

Find Alaska-made crafts for every budget—from glasswork to jewelry to notecards—at this bright, welcoming studio, owned by painter and printmaker Katie Sevigny.

This shop and tearoom blends its own teas and spices, and also sells a range of Alaska-made groceries from spruce tip jelly to kelp-and-cayenne chocolate bars.

At 25,000 square feet, Title Wave Books is easily the largest independent bookstore in Alaska. The shelves are filled with nearly half a million used books, CDs, and vinyl records across more than 1,600 categories, including several aisles of Alaska-focused books. The staff is very knowledgeable, and the store hosts game nights, author talks, and children's story times. Anyone can bring in used books and trade them for store credit.

Alaska authors line the shelves at this cozy literary café, a neighborhood gathering place that's both a bookstore and coffee shop. The online events calendar showcases local artists of all stripes, including spoken word performances, art openings, and book launches.