shopping destination in the US
 

Someone asked me what's a good place in the US for a shopping trip. (I suppose shopping trip to the US are somewhat common for Europeans.) I am familiar with some areas (areas where I've lived), but I don't know if others are actually better.

Some criteria:
- it must be reasonable to travel to (some destinations are expensive to fly in and out of), and along the same lines it has to have decently priced hotels (so a place like NYC is out)
- it should have good shopping options (a fairly accessible outlet mall, some other shopping malls)
- reasonable prices on goods (especially clothing), but I don't should not be a problem anywhere in the US48
- ideally it should have more than just shopping to offer (something to do/see in the area is a plus)
- preferably a low sales tax

Thoughts?

Similar question asked last month ... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...ht=shopping+US

Pretty much a complete destination all by itself.

http://www.mallofamerica.com/

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

I would not necessarily exclude NYC. With sites like Hotwire and Priceline, hotel rooms can be had for reasonable rates at off-peak times of the year. And travelzoo.com is another place where good hotel deals can sometimes be found.

There is no sales tax on items of clothing sold for less than $110 in NYC. And there is no sales tax on clothing sold in neighboring New Jersey, regardless of selling price.

In fact, if you don't require to stay at the St. Regis, you can find perfectly fine mid-priced hotels. And NYC is THE shopping destination in the US.

Otherwise, check out Las Vegas. Most of the main brands have stores there. There are lots of malls. Hotel rooms are plentiful. Once you get to the Strip, most of it is walkable.

Chicago is also a nice option and walkable.

How about a place like Boston? It's a big city that has many flights to Europe, there are many touristy things to do and you can easily rent a car and go shopping in outlets in Wrentham. There is also no sales tax on clothes in Massachusetts.

Boston is not a big city. It is a large town with pretensions.

http://www.theonion.com/articles/pre...daily-g,31554/

:D

NYC without a doubt for variety and price-and it can be combined with woodbury commons mall and tanger long island - if you are into that. Tming is all important as you want to arrive when sales are at their peak.

Tysons Corner Center, Northern VA - largest shopping mall in DC area. About a half hour to DC. From Tyson's Corner, Leesburg Outlet Mall is about1/2 hour away and about 40 minutes to Potomac Mills Outlet mall in Woodbridge, VA (largest outlet mall in the area). There is also shopping in Georgetown and of course plenty to see and do in the DC metro area. Area served by three airports IAD, DCA, BWI. There is a Ritz Carlton in Tysons Mall and other less expensive options in the area.

I was not aware of that thread. Maybe a mod can merge these threads.

The criteria is slightly different in that it does not need to be connected via public transportation. (Renting a car is an option.) An outlet mall in the area helps.

I thought of BOS myself (Wrentham outlets, other malls) although hotels are not on the cheap side. I also thought of CVG (at least 2 outlets + other malls, reasonable hotels, easy to navigate). PDX comes to mind, but I don't know the area very well.

Thanks for the input; really good info!

Northern NJ or southern Rockland County, NY. Fly to EWR, rent a car, and drive northwest as far as you feel like. Woodbury Commons (best outlet mall in the US) is within 45 minutes by car, Manhattan is within 45 minutes by commuter train, hotels are very reasonable.

i used to buy designer clothes for my wife in nyc. to avoid the sales tax, the stuff would be shipped to my home in the dc area. if that is still alive, stay in nj, or ct, and have the stuff shipped there.

If you're looking for outlets, what about Vegas?

shopping destination in the US
 

NYC has Woodbury commons and Century 21. Both seem to be super popular w tourists. Just don't go on a weekend.

shopping destination in the US
 

Philadelphia had no sales (taxfreephilly.com) on clothes or shoes! the city is great with too many excellent restaurants to only pick from. the barnes museum is unbelievable and then the various sports teams and of course the historic sites! shopping in center city or the King of Prussia mall has everything (30 min from Philly) -Bloomingdales, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Macys and JCPenny are anchors and everything you can think of- I take many international visitors there. A bit further out from KofP is the outlet mall. lots of hotel options/pricing
New York and New Jersey have sales taxes
So give Philly a think and be surprised

I also agree on Las Vegas. Reasonable hotels, easy access to great shopping.

Depending on the volume, PDX or some other sales tax free state may influence the decision.

also southern california and southern florida

really depends on what youre shopping for exactly

+1 on Southern California. Fly into ONT (Ontario) and shop at the Ontario Mills
Mall or nearby Victoria Gardens. There is also South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa
which is a short drive from SNA airport .

Speaking of sales tax, Macy's has something they call a 'Visitors Pass'. It is a basically coupon good for 10% off almost everything in the store (this covers the sales tax - and maybe Bloomingdale's has one.) If you are from a country other than the US, it is good for 30 days - but is seldom dated. I would not be surprised if some malls have a similar coupon.

BTW, You can get the Macy's pass at any Macy's, - or ebay for about $3.

Macy's pass isn't just for international visitors. All you need to do is show an ID from out of state and you can get the savings pass.

This plus close access to Delaware (one of our 5 completely sales tax free states) makes PHL a great option if coming from Europe. Plus you could also make a day trip up to NYC.

For shopping destinations (single complex) Woodbury Commons (mentioned already) and Sawgrass Mills outside MIA/FLL would be my top two in the US.

Where will they be flying from?


Lots of options, but what sort of "something to do/see" is of interest?

There is an outlet mall outside of Palm Springs.

Others mentioned Las Vegas.

There is an outlet mall just off of Hilton Head Island, SC if the something to do is golf or tennis (probably less convenient than the others to travel to).

Many outlet malls in the Orlando area if the "something to do" is with kids (Disney / Universal / Legland, etc.).

Another large outlet mall outside of Ft. Lauderdale if a beach location is desired.

Here is a site listing outlet malls:
http://outletbound.com

Ill add a +3 for Vegas. They have a wonderful shopping area located close to LAS called Town Square. Its an outdoor mall of sorts that resembles a small town. A lot of nice/affordable clothing stores/ a movie theater and some awesome restaurants.

New York is more reasonable than it may seem. For hotels, just Priceline one or consider staying across the river in Jersey. No sales tax on clothes and shoes under $110 per item, and no sales tax on many things in Jersey.

For people who aren't from the US, public transportation helps one avoid the hassle of renting a car. And having everything so close to each other saves time driving around to different areas of a city. There's a lot of stuff to do other than shop. And for Europeans, cheap flights should be easily found, especially during off-peak seasons.

Saw an article not too long ago saying that Las Vegas was now #1 for shopping - won over NYC. I agree! Hate to shop but I do in Vegas.

For unusual, second-hand or retro stuff, I'd have to favor Portland. It has one of the largest areas in the country largely free of chains intown, and even still has a few neighborhood record stores. It's an Amsterdam-like situation where you can have small stores occupying niches. It's also a capital for bookstores and thrift stores. The big boxes are over in Jantzen Beach, and other items are either in the suburbs or along the interstates. No sales tax.

I remember back in the 80s when outlet malls had some novelty to them and people in Atlanta would drive all the way to Boaz, Alabama, and endure crowds and bad food to shop at the outlet centers there. Then they seriously overbuilt the outlet centers along the interstates, the novelty wore off and people started deciding that 70% of retail price wasn't good enough. It's definitely a mature business now.

Austin, Texas
 

What about Austin, TX?

A few outlet malls nearby (San Marcos & Round Rock):

http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=88
http://www.tangeroutlet.com/sanmarcos
http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=73

One may also go as far down to Houston (and/or San Antonio):

http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=77
http://www.simon.com/mall/katy-mills
http://www.tangeroutlet.com/houston/

Between AUS, SAT, IAH, there are plenty to do and see in the heart of Texas as well.

OTP (no direct flights to the US, a fairly expensive market too)

I'm not sure about that, but definitely no golf/ski and such; I think the idea is some place where there is something to do besides shopping. It can be some place(s) to visit that have historical value, some beautiful scenery (e.g. the drive along the Delaware river around Port Jervis, NY), interesting museums, a beach, etc. As I mentioned earlier, CVG would have been on my list (decent shopping, cheap hotels) but there is almost nothing to see/do there.

Lots of good suggestions here - THANK YOU! Some of the places suggested are not the places I would have thought of (e.g. Austin, TX and the DC area) but definitely sound interesting. I also appreciate the info on the places without sales tax.

That's crazy. Thanks

I vote for Chicago... it hits the sweet spot of big city selection, but I find it much easier to navigate than the massive So.Cal/NYNJ megalopolises where the stores are often overrun or really picked over. The big downtown stores are more or less within walking distance of one another, and then you can just rent a car for easy access to big suburban malls or outlet malls. I also find the prices to be quite good there. And of course, there is a ton of things to see and do in Chicago.

I guess if the OP's primary interest is in ultra-high end shopping then NY/Beverly Hills would have to be considered, but for a more "all around" shopping experience Chicago would be tough to beat.

only for experienced "showroomers".

Find it locally, buy it online.

Free shipping and no onerous sales tax...priceless.

Not very useful for Europeans, though. For most Europeans and Canadians, even Chicago's "high" sales tax of 9.5% is going to be better than what they have to pay back home.