Have you ever wondered which are the best cities to shop in USA? Well, when it comes to shopping, everyone has their own tastes and preferences. Depending on whether you like indie stores, small shops with designer products and limited edition stuff, or mega-humongous-gigantic department stores or huge malls with thousands of stores, it is not easy to decide which is the best city to shop at: it depends on your preference and what you are looking for.
This also fits in with shopping styles, as some shoppers know exactly what they are looking for and where to find it, while others just stroll around gigantic retail centers, wondering which product they precisely need. Bargain shoppers, sales shoppers, vintage shoppers, trendy shoppers, latest-released shoppers… which are the best cities to shop in USA for all these eclectic shopping tastes?
Moreover, when thinking about shopping, one must take into account that governments add property taxes and sales taxes to help their finances. This taxation on shoppers has drawn lots of buyers towards online marketplaces, such as Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) and eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY) over the past years, seeking to avoid having to pay sales taxes. So if you are planning to go shopping like a big spender in future days, weeks, or months, be sure to check out this list we’ve made showing the seven states that tax shoppers the hardest.
Now, in order to compile a list featuring the best cities to shop in USA, we’ve taken into account the variety of offers and the diversity of options to find the cities with the best combination of alternatives, comfort and reasonable prices. And guess what? There are some cities in the US in which you might just find all you need!
Houston
Houston offers a wide variety of shopping options, for all types of styles. One of the biggest malls in Texas is the Galleria, which boasts 2.5 million square feet of shopping paradise. Along with such diverse options regarding shopping, Houston has 8.25% sales tax.
Dallas
The city has a lot to offer. Not only it is the birthplace of the country’s first mall, but it also caters towards high-end stores and charming small boutiques. Dallas has over 16,000 retail stores, and like Houston, it has a Galleria mall in the center of the city. Yet, this city has a higher price index than Houston and 8.25% sales tax.
Baltimore
This city has 9,536 retail locations and 21 shopping centers, with a regular sales tax of 6%. Of course most shoppers usually go to Washington, DC, but Baltimore has quite a number of good places to offer, and more affordability. Cupcake, Urban Chic, Harborplace Mall and other stores are some of the shopping spots Baltimore has.
Find the remaining best cities to shop in USA on the following pages, and see if you’re lucky enough to live close to one of these shopping heavens.
Indianapolis
Indianapolis has more than 18 shopping centers and a 7% sales tax. Nevertheless, this city doesn’t have the broad malls and boutiques that other urban centers have. But Indianapolis does indeed have cool places such as Sage, N. Rue & Co., with boutique-style shopping stores, and Circle Center, where all the well-known labels can be found.
Philadelphia
The city of Philadelphia is well known for its small boutique shopping, with more than 20,970 retail locations. Moreover, the city has an 8% sales tax, but there’s no sales tax on clothing. So if you are a fashionista, don’t miss out on this city!
Phoenix
This city might not seem much different from any other urban center, but it holds a pretty important number of shopping centers and retail stores. A shopper seeking to find alternatives and a wide variety of options might just find that Phoenix is one of the best places to shop at. And, it’s flat, which means no walking up or down hills while shopping. Retail choices go from Gucci and D&G stores in Biltmore Fashion Park, up to everything-you-might-need at its six Wal-Marts, spread all around the city. Nevertheless, shopping taxes have increased over the past four years, making this city a bit more expensive than others.
Charlotte
Charlotte is the hot-stop in North Carolina. With very posh labels, such as Rick Owns, and Alexander Wang, it offers a wide variety of high-end shops. Yet Charlotte also features 21 shopping centers with discount stores and traditional retail giants. Charlotte has 8.25% sales tax.
Chicago
There’s no doubt that Chicago is indeed one of the best cities to shop at. It has mega stores, such as Magnificent Mile, along with amazing boutiques at The Loop & State Street, and antique stores at Wicker Park. Chicago has 30,234 retail locations, but a sales tax that reaches 9.75%.
San Francisco
San Francisco has a pretty high sales tax rate, along with a consumer price index of 241.147, one of the highest in the United States. Yet, this city features every usual chain, next to high-end shops around Union Square, indie boutiques, vintage shops, second-hand stores and mega-stores as well. San Francisco is always a good option for shopping, and its sale tax is lower than New York’s.
Los Angeles
No one would doubt this is a fantastic place to shop. Rodeo Drive and its fancy shops, all the most popular boutiques at the mega-stores, some pretty posh stores, like Satine, and exclusive vintage shopping spots like Decades; Los Angeles has plenty of great shopping on offer.
New York
This city is the top of the tops with more than 75,619 retail locations, 9 shopping centers and an 8.88% sales tax, its stores offer the best and trendiest options. From Barneys to Opening Ceremony, the entire city is spotted with amazing stores and shops.
Honolulu
This city features the classic shopping hot-spots: Macy’s and Saks Fifth Avenue. But the plus about this place is that it has the Ala Moana Center, near Waikiki Beach. This mega retail center displays everything from high-end stores, like Chanel and Versace, to tourist shops with Hawaiian souvenirs and kitsch-like products.
