553 Best Places to Shop in USA

The Hamptons attract a lot of writers, and no doubt a lot of them frequent this bookstore with "no cafés, no kitsch," which is co-owned and operated by a pair of locals who happen to be former book-publishing executives. A great kids room will keep the little ones entertained for hours, and author events are held here throughout the year.

Author Emma Straub opened this spacious and well-stocked bookstore after neighborhood landmark BookCourt closed, and she even used her predecessor's tall wooden bookshelves in creating the new space. Books Are Magic hosts author events—many with celebrated writers who happen to live in Brooklyn—several days a week. Don't miss the excellent kids' area in the back.

In 2021, the town's best and most beloved independent bookstore celebrated its 55th anniversary of selling new, used, and remaindered titles. The children's section is especially comprehensive, and the shop's special events calendar is packed with readings, social mixers, book signings, and discussions.

This fine bookshop sells current releases, children's titles, and offbeat periodicals. Authors passing through town often make a stop at this neighborhood institution.

Step through Knockturn Alley to enter this somewhat gloomy shop where the somewhat macabre items include Death Eater masks, skulls, pendants, rats (fake), snakes (same), wanted-poster replicas and picture frames, costume replicas, apparel, jewelry, collectibles, a variety of T-shirts (with an assortment of characters and graphics), and the famed Vanishing Cabinet.

This shop is filled with unique clothing and toys for haute tots. Specialties include handmade goods, imported fashions, Philadelphia-themed clothing, and styles not available elsewhere.

Like many an indoor mall, Las Vegas's first (it opened in 1968) was in danger of becoming a "ghost mall" before new owners began a creative transformation. While some of the bygone anchor stores are now given over to non-retail clients (the old Sears is now a truck-driving school), some time-honored retail chain stores remain and are surrounded with more activity- and entertainment-oriented draws: a Galaxy cineplex with the city's largest indoor movie screen, a SeaQuest Aquarium, and Rex Center, a dinosaur-themed indoor amusement park with arcade games and bumper cars. The Mercado is a separately themed area styled like a street market, with dozens of vendors in small retail kiosks, and a food court with at least 10 south-of-the-border choices. It's worth winding through the Mercado, which has more food-truck style Mexican/Central American offerings.

What started as a fundraising endeavor for a high-school trip to Italy in 2006 has grown into a four-store, family-owned empire peddling the preservative-free, non-GMO, chocolate-topped toffee that has been touted by Oprah Winfrey and Martha Stewart. You can watch candy being made while enjoying toffee milk shakes, pretzels, popcorn, brownies, or ice-cream bars. You can also stock up on souvenir tins. (Good luck getting them all the way home.)

Dating back to 1872, this former homestead of baking legend Betty Crocker opens its gates monthly for antique shows hosted in a massive white barn. Step inside for themed events, unveiling a range of inventory including midcentury, industrial, vintage, rustic, primitive, and French country items. Ten local artisans, food trucks, craft workshops, and gardens with free-range birds make this a family-friendly outing. You'll often find homemade baked goods and gourmet coffee to enjoy on the manicured grounds. Check their website for show dates and other events.

Try the sea-glass hard candy and the coffee bark at this little shop offering small treats in a tiny town.

If you can't crack a smile in this store—where all proceeds from superhero costumes, gear, and secret identity kits benefit 826NYC's writing and tutoring programs for kids—step immediately into its Cape Tester, or take the cure-all Vow of Heroism oath. Afterward, browse the inventory of superpowers like telekinesis, chutzpah, and wickedness, which are sold in plastic jugs and fake paint cans. The clever labels listing “ingredients” and “warnings” are worth the cost for every ounce of the tongue-in-cheek products.

Savannah's "main street" has long served as an indicator of the city's changing economic and demographic trends. The first of Savannah's department stores, Adler's and Levy's, emerged on Broughton, followed by the post-WWII introduction of national chains Sears & Roebuck, JCPenney, and Kress. During the 1950s, ladies donning white gloves and heels did their shopping, while kids gathered at the soda counter or caught the matinee. Downtown's decline began in the late 1950s and continued through the '70s, when boarded-up storefronts were the norm rather than the exception. Today, Broughton is again thriving, not only with local boutiques and world-class shops, but with theaters, restaurants, and coffeehouses.

Opened in 1976, one of the city's most beloved independent bookstores resides quietly among the chic fashion boutiques lining Fillmore Street. All ages will find ample choices, from contemporary fiction to children's books to a large selection of Buddhist Dharma literature. The store is owned by Inner Richmond favorite Green Apple Books.

The shops lining this open-air mall next to the Peace Plaza (look for the giant pagoda) are geared more toward locals, but there are some fun Japanese-goods stores here, too. Start your exploration with exquisite Japanese homewares in a gallery-like space at SF76 ( 1758 Buchanan St.  www.sf-76.com). Look for Hasami and Tomoro pottery and ceramics by local artists. It's easy to spend hours among the fabulous origami and craft papers at Paper Tree ( 1743 Buchanan St.  paper-tree.com). After shop browsing, have a seat on the steps around local artist Ruth Asawa's twin origami-style fountains, which sit in the middle of the mall. Wrap up a visit with lunch at Hinodeya Ramen ( 1737 Buchanan St.  hinodeyaramen.com), serving lighter dashi (clear-broth) ramen, a rarity in the city.

Built in 1917 and remodeled to retain its historic character, this landmark building in downtown Cedar City contains an old-fashioned drug store, complete with a soda fountain from the 1950s. Enjoy ice cream, shakes, sundaes, and malts, or try one of the uniquely flavored sodas. And then pick up a few treats at the candy counter, or browse the adjacent gift shops, where you'll find a tempting selection of toys and souvenirs.

Browse the small but mighty selection of books about Charleston and those by local authors, plus classics and a children's section. The shop also hosts an excellent, compelling walking tour, The Lost Stories of Black Charleston, and Charleston's longest-running ghost tour.

Get your sugar fix at the time-warped Candy Baron, filled with old-fashioned goodies like gumdrops, licorice, bull's-eyes, sugar-free candies, and more than 50 flavors of saltwater taffy.

Maine leads the way in whoopie pie adoration, and gourmet shops like this one offer up all kinds of imaginative flavors including chocolate cakes with chocolate hazelnut and cayenne cream, vanilla cakes with maple cream, or seasonal options like pumpkin cakes with cream cheese cream and Granny Smith apple spiced cake with caramel cream. There are even gluten-free options. And the best part? They can be shipped all over the continental United States.

This outdoor shopping center contains more than 80 outlet stores, including designer brands like Coach, Kate Spade, Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, and Nike.

Tiffany & Co. and Anthropologie are among the name brands doing business at this mall on Carmel's east side, but what makes it worth a stop are homegrown enterprises such as Carmel Honey Company for local honey; Monterey Design Center for home decor; and J. Lawrence Khaki's for debonair menswear. Flying Fish Grill, Alvarado Street Brewery, and several other restaurants are here, along with Wrath, Hahn, and Blair Estate wine tasting rooms. The Carmel Visitor Center (open daily) is on the second floor.

After a morning drive on the Hana Highway or an afternoon at Hamoa Beach, you can stop at this fun stand to grab fresh fruit or a tropical smoothie and to shop for jewelry and local art. Stretch your legs on a leisurely stroll, or just kick back and enjoy the breezes and the views.

This place is small, but it's stocked with the essentials for RV and auto travelers.

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.

If you think a supermarket can't be a destination, think again. The only location of the chain in San Antonio (there are nine others in Texas), Central Market is both a foodie heaven and a popular gourmet grocery store in Alamo Heights. Among the many offerings, you'll find scratch-made baked goods, chef-prepared meals, a great wine selection, products from around the world and a knowledgeable staff to answer questions. Top off your finds with a fresh flower arrangement from the well-stocked floral center up front. An in-house cooking school provides classes (for a fee) in such areas as croissants, seafood basics, a Tuscan dinner, and more. Don't miss the very popular Hatch Chile Fest every August.

This is the South's oldest independent feminist bookstore.

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.

Chocolate truffles and sea-salt caramels are favorites here, but you can also buy made-on-site items such as chocolate in the shapes of cowboy boots and high heels. Most items are sold for takeout, but there's limited in-store seating if you just can't wait to scarf down these delicious sweets with a cup of rich hot chocolate.

For chocoholics with a gourmet palate, this is one-stop shopping. Offerings are both foreign (Michel Cluizel from France and Amedei from Italy) and domestic (Askinosie from Missouri and Amano from Utah). Selections from D.C.-area chocolatiers make for tasty souvenirs.

This village of shops is the go-to shopping destination for everything holiday-related, including personalized ornaments, strings of novelty lights, and a sleigh-load of designer-decorated trees.