3888 Best Places to Shop in USA

Arguably the best place to buy fragrance in Manhattan, this lovely-smelling boutique's superknowledgeable staff help shoppers find the perfect scent. High-end (and predominantly European) brands like L'Artisan Parfumeur and Astier de Villatte are stocked, along with luxurious skin-care products, pricey candles, and room diffusers.

If Victoria's Secret is too tame for you, try this British-based lingerie shop, which has a naughty twist. Showpieces include corsets, lace sets with contrast-color trim, bottoms tied with satin ribbons, and some fetish-type leather ensembles. A great selection of stockings is complemented by the garter belts to secure them.

Merging the attentiveness of a spa with the old-world charm of a barbershop, this high-end men's salon caters to guys who prefer getting a hot-towel shave and a haircut while enjoying a whiskey. The front of the store is devoted to manly diversions, with shaving sets, contemporary and New Orleans–theme cuff links, pocket knives, wallets, bow ties (a specialty), grooming products for face and hair, and gifts.

The imaginative crafts folk at this studio turn molten glass into vases and bowls, which are available for sale. You can watch artisans at work here in the oldest glassblowing studio in the state, and next door, Mossy Creek Pottery gallery is worth a visit, too. Alder House is closed November–April.

This vibrant shop on the Ala Malama strip sells quirky souvenirs like funny T-shirts, jewelry, and local products. They have a café counter offering sandwiches, smoothies, and salads. The owners act as informal area guides, helping visitors find their way around and arrange services that they may need.

A South Congress landmark for decades, this place is impossible to miss—just look for the huge red cowboy boot above the door. Set amid trendy, touristy SoCo, Allens is anything but. More than a dozen brands of cowboy boots (including Frye, Justin, Lucchese, Liberty Black, and Tony Lama) are displayed on rows upon rows of shelves, along with hats, belt buckles, and other classic Western wear. If you're a newcomer to the boot world, study the store's website before your visit for some basics on proper fit, but staff members are exceptionally helpful once you walk through the door.

Located in the Moana Surfrider hotel, the flagship store of this innovative company is filled with colorful, lightweight, “splash-proof” bags of all sizes, shapes, and styles—from tiny zippered travel pouches to eye-catching beach bags to oversize totes. The company continually offers new patterns and styles, so bag lovers will always find a unique beach- or travel-friendly option.

The best-known brands in camp, beach, surf, and skate gear can be found at this flagship of Aloha Exchange, along with a good selection of locally designed graphic T-shirts and caps available exclusively here. Personalize your reusable water flask with a couple of their stickers as Island souvenirs. It's popular with locals, especially younger beachgoers.

Immortalized as the "miracle mile" in Long Island–native Billy Joel's song "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me," is the ultimate shopping destination for the Gold Coast elite. Burberry, Chanel, Coach, Louis Vuitton, Prada, and Yves St. Laurent are among the dozens of upscale shops for the rich, famous, and merely fabulous.

Heaven for audiophiles and movie collectors, this legendary shop is the place for new and used CDs, vinyl, cassettes, VHS tapes, Blu-ray discs, and DVDs. The massive and ever-changing stock includes thousands of titles for all music tastes.

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.

Touted as the "World's Largest Independent Record Store," Amoeba is a playground for music lovers, with a knowledgeable staff and a focus on local artists. Catch free in-store appearances and signings by artists and bands that play sold-out shows at venues down the road. There's a massive and eclectic collection of vinyl records, CDs, and cassette tapes, not to mention VHS tapes, DVDs, and Blu-Ray discs. It’s a paradise for both music and movie lovers.

Among Southeast's countless gift shops, this one is truly worth checking out. The local owners have curated an intriguing selection of art from around the region, including uncommon, limited collections you won't find elsewhere. Ampersand's selection includes jewelry, original paintings and mixed-media works, prints, and ceramics.

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.

You can browse, and buy, some of the nation's finest examples of both historic and contemporary Native American pottery at this gallery a couple of blocks east of the Plaza. It is especially renowned for its collection of pieces from San Ildefonso Pueblo legend Maria Martinez and her illustrious family.

Maine islander Angela Adams specializes in simple but bold geometric motifs parlayed into dramatic rugs (custom, too), canvas totes, bedding, and other home accessories. The shop also carries sleek wood furniture from her husband's woodshop.

Catering to Washington's influential and prestigious, this jewelry and gift shop specializing in patriotic pins may seem intimidating, but prices begin at $35. Hand's signature pin, the Liberty Eagle, is $200. Photos on the walls above brightly lit display cases show the city's most prominent figures wearing their designs, making this a worthwhile visit while shopping in Georgetown.

The flagship shop of the locally based national chain takes up three floors of an elegant Rittenhouse Square building (once someone's mansion, of course). The sales floors that encircle the grand stone staircase are brimming with lush colors, floral patterns, and vintage and unique styles that offer a departure from the ordinary. Pretty jewelry, stylish shoes and handbags, and other accessories add an enchanting femininity to fashion. Head downstairs for the brand's BHLDN bridal line featuring an array of dreamy wedding dresses, elegant jewelry, bridesmaid dresses and more. Downstairs also offers a selection of Anthropologie's lauded home line, including candles, glassware, pottery, pillows, and mirrors. Be sure to check out the third floor for racks of bargain-priced sale items, and don't forget to look up at the towering first-floor ceiling of the onetime front parlor.

West Palm's U.S. 1, "South Dixie Highway," is the destination for those who love interesting home decor. From thrift shops to the most exclusive stores, it is all here within 40 stores—museum-quality furniture, lighting, art, junk, fabric, frames, tile, and rugs. So if you're looking for an art deco, French-provincial, or Mizner pièce de résistance, big or small, schedule a few hours for an Antique Row stroll. You'll find bargains during the off-season (May to November). Antique Row runs north–south from Belvedere Road to Forest Hill Boulevard, although most stores are bunched between Belvedere Road and Southern Boulevard.

Once an apple-packing shed, the Apple Shed has been restored and remodeled into a series of unusual gift shops and arts and crafts galleries. An attached tasting room features their own locally produced Williams Cellars wines and Snow Capped Ciders, while the deli serves breakfast Thursday through Sunday and Mexican fare and sandwiches and salads for lunch and dinner daily.

Archestratus is one of those rare neighborhood gems that becomes a true community hub—particularly for hardcore foodies. More than a tiny bookstore specializing in cookbooks and culinary writings, it also offers a well-curated selection of kitchenware and groceries, from pastas to tinned fish. There's also a small children's reading section and adequate meeting space for their culinary- and literary-inspired events. While their sit down café component is no longer open, they still offer daily artisanal sandwiches to go.

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.

Run by the Island Institute, this inviting shop showcases an array of fine creations by Maine artists and artisans. On display are wooden goods, jewelry, soaps, books, housewares, clothing, fine art, and more.

The selection here matches the warehouse proportions. A mammoth two-story space contains oversize garden ornaments, statuary, iron grills, fixtures, and decorative tiles. Architectural fragments—marble, metal, wood, terra-cotta—hail from historic American and European buildings.

At this salon-inspired gallery, relax on antique furniture while gazing at framed paintings, mostly of island and coastal Maine scenes, that fill the dark walls. Opened in 1996 and representing approximately 30 artists of national renown who live, summer, or paint on Mount Desert Island, works range from $500–$10,000. The owner's background is in art history, and she warmly welcomes even those who are "just looking" and shares her art knowledge, especially the stories of painters who've been drawn to the island since the 1800s.

For the fanciest knickers in downtown Portland and one of the best bra fittings around, head to Aristelle. It's where to find elegant undergarments and lingerie, as well as naughty little numbers that would make Bettie Page blush.

Santa Fe is well-known for its mystical side and the Ark is where locals go to feed their spiritual souls. Mainly a metaphysical bookstore, the Ark also offers a diverse selection of cards, gemstones, candles, and crystals as well as gifts of all kinds, from Tibetan prayer flags and wind chimes to yoga mats and clothing.

Take a break from browsing at Joseph's several galleries and boutiques to indulge in first-rate caramels and truffles at this popular downtown shop. You'll also find rich, hot mochas that blend chocolate with Portland's Stumptown coffee. The sweets come in novel flavors, including caramels infused with lime juice and habanero sea salt, huckleberry truffles, and truffles blended with whiskey from local Stein Distillery and dark chocolate.