128 Best Places to Shop in USA

The open-air Portland Saturday Market, which has been going strong since 1976 and runs from March to December on weekends (including Sunday, despite the name), is a favorite place to find one-of-a-kind, handcrafted home, garden, and clothing items—everything from T-shirts and souvenirs to high-quality sculptures and housewares. An impressive new pavilion, part of it covered, houses the more than 300 artisans. Don't confuse this crafts-oriented market with the equally popular Portland Farmers' Market.

The square beside the old Main Street Station has been a public gathering place since 1737, and is within walking distance of art galleries, boutiques, and antique shops, many in converted warehouses and factories. Market days are weekends.

Known by most as "Stuaqpak" ("Big Store" in Iñupiat), this is the only major market in town. It primarily sells groceries, but it also has a hot-food court and stocks local crafts, including furs, parkas, mukluks, and ceremonial masks (sometimes the artists set up vendor tables outside). For many people, AC Value is a lifeline to the most basic food and clothing supplies that make the extreme reaches of Alaska habitable. If you have time to visit one, you should do so, if for no other reason than to see firsthand the prices of milk and bread this far north.

The outdoor stalls at this mellow, parklike market offer tropical flowers, produce, soaps, kettle corn, coffee, coconut postcards, cookies, jewelry, koa wood, clothing, antiques and collectibles, handmade lei, silk flowers, and kitschy crafts. The made-on-site barbecue is a real hit. A food kiosk also serves shave ice, fish tacos, coconut water, fresh-fruit smoothies, and hamburgers. Free parking and Wi-Fi are available.

This thrice-weekly outdoor bazaar attracts hundreds of vendors and even more bargain hunters. Every Hawaiian souvenir imaginable can be found here, from coral shell necklaces to bikinis, as well as a variety of global wares, from Chinese brocaded dresses to Japanese pottery. There are also international foods, silk flowers, and luggage in aloha floral prints. That said, be prepared to wade through the usual sprinkling of used and counterfeit goods to find value. Wear comfortable shoes, use sunscreen, and bring bottled water. The flea market takes place in the parking lot of the (now-closed) Aloha Stadium Wednesday and Saturday 8–3 and Sunday 6:30–3. Admission is $2 per person ages 12 and up.

You can take either Uber or Lyft from your hotel. You might also ask your hotel concierge about shared shuttle services. For a cheaper but slower ride, take TheBus. The new Skyline trains connect Halawa/Aloha Stadium with East Kapolei. So you could shop at the swap meet and hop on the train, then walk or ride a bus 1½ miles to the Ka Makana Alii mall to treasure-hunt even longer—all without a car.

Homemade baked goods, fresh cider, Vermont cheeses, maple syrup, and around a dozen varieties of apples are among the treats for sale here. There's berry picking in season, for a fun family stop, and on weekends you can watch the bakers make cider doughnuts.

It would be remiss to be in Belmont and not head to the Arthur Avenue Retail Market, which epitomizes the Italian American experience in one covered bazaar. Spearheaded by former Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia—namesake of the airport—this centrally located retail space offers food, both as ingredients—fresh produce and raw butchered meats—and in a prepared form, notably as an classic Italian sandwich worthy to wait in line for. There's seating to eat in the middle of the market, next to a bar slinging craft beers, plus a cigar shop next to the souvenir shop with T-shirts urging people to "Fuggedaboutit."

Sponsored by the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP), nearly everything at this downtown market is local. Offerings usually include produce, free-range eggs, homemade breads, cheeses, and crafts from some 60 local farms, bakeries, and craftspeople. Every Saturday morning it covers an entire city block on North Market Street. ASAP publishes a print and online guide to local food sources and tailgate markets.

Every Sunday between mid-May and mid-October, the town closes three blocks of 12th Street to traffic from 10 to 3 so that as many as 200 vendors can sell goods they've grown or made. There are booths and tables full of fresh fruits, vegetables, farm products, arts, crafts, and treats of all kinds, plus excellent live music.

An institution in the Pioneer Valley, this market sells produce, baked goods, and specialty foods—try a cider doughnut to sample the best of all three.

A short drive from downtown and operating for more than two decades, the oldest and largest weekend-only flea market on the Treasure Coast has a street-bazaar feel, with shoppers happily scouting the 500 vendors for the practical and unusual. A produce market carries local tropical fruits and vegetables. If you have an open mind and love to shop garage sales, you'll do just fine here.

Known for its sweet corn, Boardman's makes a fine quick stop to pick up fresh fruits and vegetables, from pumpkins and peppers to peaches and nectarines.

From early May through mid-October, Utah's oldest local farmers' market is held every Saturday from 9 to 1, outside the Cache Historic Courthouse. The market features regional produce vendors, locally made goods, and live music.

This bustling complex of eateries and shops, which you reach soon after driving onto the island, is a great place to grab picnic supplies for your Camano adventures. It contains a counter-service bakery offering espresso drinks, pastries, and ice cream, along with venues for dine-in or takeout breakfast, burgers, sandwiches, and craft beer. The Loft gallery on the upper level sells funky, locally made crafts and gifts.

You’ve seen shops like Cardenas Oil & Vinegar Taproom in small-town downtowns all across the country. At this Italian Market shop, they’ve got the requisite refillable oils and vinegars (in flavors that include blood orange and coconut) but distinguish themselves with a serious lineup of rare, unadulterated elixirs sourced from Italy, Spain, and even South Africa. The team is generous with samples.

This upscale, foodie-friendly offshoot of the giant Texas-based H-E-B supermarket chain is a few years older than its competitor, Whole Foods, down Lamar Boulevard, but no less popular (expect big weekend crowds). It's equally serious about the cheeses, wine, beer, meat, and deli products it purveys, but compared to Whole Foods it seems more like a place real people go to shop (rather than promenade). It's a great spot to grab organic prepared foods on the run or at the in-house café, where an outdoor patio is ideal for families and large groups. Live music is hosted on weekends.

This is the spot for local produce, eggs, plants, and crafts. Closed Monday and Tuesday.

This 180,000-square-foot open-air mall and cultural center is occupied by 35 Asian-owned businesses (mainly Chinese and Vietnamese), including restaurants, nail salons, bakeries, boba tea shops, and retail outlets selling clothing and jewelry. The cornerstone here is the MT (My Thanh) Supermarket, the largest international grocery store in Texas, which stocks all manner of Asian foods and related items. Dining standouts include First Chinese BBQ and Pho Saigon Noodle House. Though a bit short on atmosphere, eateries deliver well-prepared, simply presented lunch plates and noodle-based soups at easy-to-digest prices. The center is open daily, but some stores close one day a week.

More than 40 vendors participate in the Cross Roads Farm & Craft Market. The mix includes handcrafted furniture, jams, cheeses, Western wear, hand-knit sweaters, wooden toys, and candles.

If you're in the mood for seasonal fresh fruit and vegetables from the region, stop by the Dallas Farmers Market. The vendors are competitive, often offering samples and flagging down potential customers. You'll also find fresh plants, flowers, and handcrafted goods. An indoor market features furniture, home decor, jewelry, sauces, and organic meats. Weekends are festive at the market, with families shopping and children running around, chasing pigeons, and eating ice cream and other snacks sold on-site.

Spanning 18,000 square feet, this farmers market has homemade baked goods, fresh fruits and vegetables, plus butter churns and ceramic speckle ware made by the local Mennonites. Don't be surprised to see locals trotting by in their horse-and-buggy. It's a good place to mingle with the craftspeople, as well as with students from James Madison University in nearby Harrisonburg. It's open Thursday through Saturday from 9 to 6.

One of the largest flea markets in the South draws residents from all over the state as well as visitors. It's open weekends, including Friday, from 9 to 5.

Farmers and city-slickers alike have gathered in the historic open-air Detroit Eastern Market since 1841 to bargain and barter over fresh produce, meats and cheeses, fish, and plants. Public shopping hours in the sprawling market, which is spread over 43 acres, start Saturday at 6 am. Stores stay open until 5 pm; open-air markets shut down by 4 pm, though the best stock is long gone by the afternoon.

Just across from the BioPark, shaded outdoor seating on El Vado Motel’s plaza is surrounded by a cluster of locally committed shopkeepers and food purveyors. A good meal option is Buen Provecho, inspired by Costa Rican traditional cooking, or enjoy a cerveza (beer) from the El Vado Taproom. Stroll just beyond the plaza to a cluster of local vendors on the complex's outer periphery (Southwest Cactus Shop has not only the expected succulents, but a well-selected range of southwest-themed hand-stamped cards, earrings, clever metal birds, and more), or a little further east on Central Avenue to Kaufman's Coffee & Bagels (freshly made on site) or Swan Song, a retro-ware recycler.

This complex of five buildings, one of which is the original Faneuil Hall, is both huge and hugely popular (drawing 18 million people a year), but not necessarily unique—most of its independent shops have given way to Banana Republic, Uniqlo, Urban Outfitters, and other chains. Founded in 1742 as a market for crops and livestock, the place has plenty of history and offers one of the area's great à la carte casual dining experiences within Quincy Market. Pushcarts sell everything from apparel to jewelry to candy to Boston souvenirs, while larger name-brand stores are in the North and South Markets. Live bands set up gigs throughout the weekend days, while buskers perform crowd-pleasing feats such as break dancing and juggling routines. Have your dollar bills ready for when the hat gets passed around.

If you schedule your visit to Winter Park for a Saturday morning, you can begin your day at the weekly farmers' market, which takes place from 7 am to 1 pm at the city's old train depot, just two blocks west of Park Avenue. It's a bustling, vibrant market with vendors selling farm-fresh produce, dazzling flowers, and prepared foods. Pick up locally harvested honey, locally made cheese, and freshly baked croissants.

Started in 1852, this open-air market in Over-the-Rhine is the oldest continuously operated farmer's market in Ohio; it's locally known for its fresh meats and regional produce. You can find exotic herbs, grilled ribs, and bakery items as well. Expanded hours (many vendors are now open on Sundays) and a substantial renovation and expansion from 2002 to 2004 have brought new life to the market and even more food options.

Just east of downtown, more than 900 vendors sell new and used goods Friday through Sunday 9–5. Its music hall hosts live entertainment.

If you're up for a bit of shopping in between music shows and dinners out, this bohemian night market, filled with handmade jewelry, crafts, and other treasures, is right in the thick of the action on Frenchmen Street.