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With its grand department stores and funky secondhand boutiques, San Francisco summons a full range of shopping experiences. From the anarchist bookstore to the mouthwatering specialty-food purveyors at the gleaming Ferry Building, the local shopping opportunities reflect the city's various personalities. Visitors with limited time often focus their energies on the high-density Union Square area, where several major department stores tower over big-name boutiques. But if you're keen to find unique local shops, consider moving beyond the square's radius.
Each neighborhood has its own distinctive finds, whether it's 1960s housewares, cheeky stationery, or vintage Levi's. If shopping in San Francisco has a downside, it's that real bargains can be few and far between. Sure, neighborhoods such as the Lower Haight and the Mission have thrift shops and other inexpensive stores, but you won't find many discount outlets in the city, where rents are sky-high and space is at a premium.
Seasonal sales, usually in late January and late July or August, are good opportunities for finding deep discounts on clothing. The San Francisco Chronicle and San Francisco Examiner advertise sales. For smaller shops, check the free SF Weekly, which can be found on street corners every Wednesday. Sample sales are usually held by individual manufacturers, so check your favorite company's website before visiting.
With well over a million new and used CDs, DVDs, and records at bargain prices, this warehouse-like offshoot of the Berkeley original carries titles you won't find on Amazon. No niche is ignored—from electronica and hip-hop to jazz and classical—and the stock changes frequently. In-store performances attract large crowds.
This five-decade-old shop stocks high-quality acoustic guitars, albums, and thousands of titles of sheet music—and even has its own editions and recordings wing. The custom guitars, banjos, ukuleles, and mandolins make this a true musician's choice.
