87 Best Places to Shop in Seattle, Washington

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.

This independent studio makes some of the most stunning, yet affordable, jewelry you can find. Impressively simple, each design manages to be unique, giving them an elegant and modern edge. While the business has outgrown using the same space as both production and store, you can still stop by to shop all the hand-crafted, locally made necklaces, earrings, and bracelets in the light-filled corner shop.

One of the city's liveliest and most interesting farmers’ markets fills a plaza and spills onto a side street. There's fresh produce galore, prepared foods including Ethiopian cuisine and ice pops, plus music, samples, and plenty of cut flowers. The market is open Sunday from 11 am to 3 pm.

Attention foodies: clear out your hotel minibars and make room for delectable treats from DeLaurenti (open until 5 pm daily). And, if you're planning any picnics, swing by here first. Imported meats and cheeses crowd the deli cases, and packaged delicacies pack the aisles. Stock up on hard-to-find items like truffle-infused olive oil or excellent Italian vintages from the wine shop upstairs.

A major reason to visit this landmark bookstore—formerly a longtime haunt in Pioneer Square—is the great selection of Pacific Northwest history books and fiction titles by local authors, complete with handwritten recommendation cards from the knowledgeable staff. A big selection of bargain books, lovely skylights, and an appealing café all sweeten the deal—and the hundreds of author events held every year mean that nearly every day is exciting.

This Seattle institution (helmed by Fran Bigelow) has been making quality chocolates for decades. Its world-famous salted caramels are transcendent—a much-noted favorite of the Obama family—as are delectable truffles, which are spiked with oolong tea, single-malt whiskey, or raspberry, among other flavors. This shop is housed in the elegant Four Seasons on 1st Avenue.

Housed in what used to be a 75-year-old five-and-dime store, this distinctive gallery has fine ceramics, textiles, and exquisite crafts by Japanese and Northwest artists; you can also see artifacts from the old store, a part of the original Nihonmachi (Japantown). Items range from something as simple as incense from Kyoto to an enormous painted antique chest. Clothes, books, and gift options abound, all with ties to Japan or the local Japanese community.

Seattle's own retail giant sells quality clothing, accessories, cosmetics, jewelry, and lots of shoes—in keeping with its roots in footwear—including many hard-to-find sizes. Peruse the various floors for anything from trendy jeans to lingerie to goods for the home. A sky bridge on the store's fourth floor will take you to Pacific Place Shopping Center. Deservedly renowned for its impeccable customer service, the busy Downtown flagship has a concierge desk and valet parking.  The Nordstrom Rack store at 1st Avenue and Spring Street, close to Pike Place Market, has great deals on marked-down items.

Aesthetes and architects haunt this shop, which is stocked with all things design. Rare, international architecture, art, and design books (including titles for children) mingle with high-end products from Alessi and Iittala; sleek notebooks, bags, portfolios, and drawing tools round out the collection. This is a great shop for quirky, unforgettable gifts, like a pentagram typography calendar, an Arne Jacobsen wall clock, or an aerodynamic umbrella.

The enormous flagship for Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI) has an incredible selection of outdoor gear—polar-fleece jackets, wool socks, down vests, hiking boots, rain gear, and much more—as well as its own 65-foot climbing wall. The staff is extremely knowledgeable, and there always seems to be enough help on hand, even when the store is busy. You can test things out on the mountain-bike test trail or in the simulated rain booth. REI also rents gear such as tents, sleeping bags, skis, snowshoes, and backpacks. Bonus: they offer an hour of free parking.

Locally designed dresses, hand-made ceramics featuring East Asian ingredients, and cute children's toys from Hawaii somehow all make sense in this small boutique. The owners, both named Kaitlin and from Hawaii, curate an amazing selection of clothes, crafts, jewelry, and home goods, mostly produced in Seattle or by Asian American makers. Their eye for everything classy and cute, from boba tea-shaped cat toys to elegant Czech glass earrings makes shopping fun, and they stock European raincoats and cozy hoodies for men and women if you forgot to bring the right outfit for the weather.

An independent record store that is just the kind of place you would want to find on a Seattle street corner: clean, helpful, and organized, but just a little bit time-worn and too cool. You can count on them to have music from the latest indie darlings alongside the classics, on vinyl, CD, or even cassette tape. If they have one of their free in-store events when you're in the neighborhood, stop in for a unique musical experience.

Whether you need to bring home an ironic "West Seattle Island" shirt or vintage-style Pacific Northwest hoodie, this cute neighborhood gift shop and boutique has one-of-a-kind clothes to help you remember your visit to Seattle. The rest of the shop is filled with stylish gifts for kids and adults, plenty of cards, and fun locally made products such as bath salts, candles, mugs, and more.

Sophisticated yet casual, this pricey boutique delivers quality, European-style looks for women of all ages. Pop into the Moorish-inspired shop for a party dress, elegant jewelry, or separates, and be sure to check out the house line, designed by the owners.

Alki Beach gives off SoCal vibes, but the one thing it lacks is surfable waves. Still, that doesn't stop this surf shop from selling everything else you might need for a day on the beaches of L.A. or West Seattle. Beach gear, swimsuits, and sunglasses will keep everyone ready for hanging out in the sand, while the Island-style clothes, accessories, and gifts will make you feel like you might be somewhere warmer or with bigger waves. The merchandise makes a good souvenir (and conversation starter), especially the fleecy sweatshirts for when the sun inevitably goes down and the breeze blows in off the cool water.

Since 1984, this bastion of bibliophilia has offered new, used, and collectible titles to discerning shoppers. Its shelves are especially strong in art, photography, and graphic design. This eclectic assortment will satisfy both the avid reader and discriminating collector.

Every Sunday, rain or shine, loads of vendors come to Ballard Avenue to set up colorful, welcoming stands to sell produce and all types of local, artisanal foods, as well as gift items like candles and hats. Meanwhile, local buskers entertain foodies and families, and vendors cook up pizzas, crepes, dumplings, and more.

In this impressive trifecta of shopping centers, you'll find just about any chain store you've heard of (and some that you haven't). Bellevue Square's wide walkways and benches, its many children's clothing stores, kid's hair salon, and first-floor play area make this a great place for little ones, too. A variety of local restaurant groups and national chains serve quick, good casual food, and you can park for free in the attached garage. Take the sky bridge to Lincoln Center to catch a flick at their 16-screen cinema, organize your life at the Container Store, or sample an assortment of other retail outlets. Eat at one of the several high-end restaurants, the famous Din Tai Fung, or the upscale food court. Bellevue Place, across from Lincoln Center, hosts a variety of stores and a Fonte Coffee Roaster.

A short stroll from the big tech companies based along the canal, Blue Owl encourages male shoppers to go beyond the ubiquitous khakis and polos of the tech world with high-end denim, leather goods, and other clothing and accessories from Japan, Canada, Europe, and the USA. The Pacific Northwest-friendly flannel shirts may cost a small fortune but they’re the softest you’ve ever felt. Blue Owl also has a reputation for carrying Seattle’s best selection of raw denim---once broken in, the highly coveted small-batch jeans supposedly provide an unsurpassed look and fit.

If you love microbrews, then make a pilgrimage to Bottleworks to peruse its massive collection. With 16 taps plus around 950 chilled varieties of malty goodness available, including seasonal varieties, vintage bottles, and global rarities, there's a beer for everyone here—as well as a good sampling of mead and cider. Try a few beers from the taps or bottles (with corkage fee) in their sit-down area, too.

Amazing sandwiches, croissants, and coffee.

Crossroads Trading Co. carries dependably cute and trendy used clothes, bags, and accessories. Their buyers screen each item, so you won't be stuck poring over a rack of stained T-shirts. It's all clean, bright, and fun.

Few things have made a bigger comeback in recent years than vinyl records. Daybreak Records, a small, stylishly outfitted shop with a roll-up door for warm days, stocks a great, varied selection of mint used vinyl, including deep-catalog albums, plus a lot of 45s. Local audiophiles adore this place.

A Seattle institution since 1979, Dusty Strings has long been delighting folk and roots music lovers with beautifully crafted hammered dulcimers, harps, guitars of all stripes, banjos, ukuleles, and mandolins. The relaxed shop invites hands-on browsing, and the lilting strains of traditional melodies often fill the space.

Opened in 1988 and still thriving, this record store will make you feel cool enough to wander the aisles and browse the new and used vinyl, even if you've never dropped a needle in your life. A staple of Seattle's music scene, it hosts free in-store performances by bands you've probably heard of (Pearl Jam has played here), along with selling records, CDs, cassettes, and DVDs. Listening stations let you preview albums before purchasing, and the attached café offers the kind of breakfast you'd want after a night of rocking out.

For outdoor gear with an edgy vibe, locals head to evo, which specializes in snow-sports and also carries a solid selection of seasonal street clothes for men and women. You'll find everything you need to shred Washington's big mountains in style, from fat powder skis and snowboards with wild graphics to flashy ski jackets and thick woolen beanies. (Since opening in 2011, evo has gone binational with 11 locations in the USA and Canada.)  evo shares its industrial-modern "campus" with the restaurants Joule and The Whale Wins. Seattle's only indoor skatepark, All Together Skatepark, is also right next door.

Seattle's 6,000-square-foot flagship Filson store is a shrine to meticulously well-made outdoor wear for men and women. The hunting-lodge decor of the space, paired with interesting memorabilia and pricey, made-on-site clothing, makes the drive south of Pioneer Square worth it (we recommend catching a cab, not hoofing it). The attention to detail paid to the plaid vests, oil-treated rain slickers, and fishing outfits borders on the fetishistic.

Goods from about 25 vendors are crammed into every conceivable corner of this bi-level space, so you'll likely score at least something to take home (or giggle at in nostalgia). Clothing, furniture, and collectible art are among the finds, and the mall's eye-catching assortment of kitschy retro stuff is fun to look through whether you're a serious collector or just an innocent bystander. The Jive Time Records Annex is also a tenant. It's easy to walk right past this place—look carefully for the door and then proceed down the flight of stairs.