Las Vegas nights are almost always busy. You grab dinner at a top restaurant or a favorite buffet, catch a Cirque du Soleil show in the evening, head to the clubs afterwards and then stay up all night playing the slots. This activity may encourage you to sleep in but you’ll still have afternoons free to fill up however you please. In between seeing the animals at different casino hotels and watching the free shows that play every hour at some spots, you are going to want to make sure that you fit in some shopping.
Going shopping in Las Vegas adds to the fun of experiencing the city. You get to pick up those cheesy little Elvis trinkets to take back home to the family members and friends who weren’t able to come on the trip with you. You get to do some high-end shopping at some of the most extensive malls in the state. And you get to pick up some great deals on name brand items at the outlet stores in Las Vegas. A Vegas trip without a little bit of shopping thrown in is like tequila without the lime.
So where do you go to do all of this great shopping? Anywhere you can imagine. Here are some of the best spots:
Malls on the Vegas Strip
There are a couple of big shopping malls nestled in between the hotels and casinos on the Las Vegas Strip. These are some of the best places to start for shopping at stores that are already familiar to you.
• Fashion Show Mall. This is the place to start if you want to do some basic mall shopping because it has all of the standard stores that you’re used to finding in your own hometown malls. Pick up fun little gadgets at Brookstone, jewelry at Zales, lotion at Bath & Body Works or anything from your favorite department stores. Like any good mall, the Fashion Show Mall has a food court for folks who want to find cheap eats in Vegas. Plus there are always great little events being held here so you can get entertainment while you do your shopping.
• Showcase Mall. Another mall that is going to offer familiar stores is the Showcase Mall which is located down at the end of the Strip near MGM Grand and New York New York. This is the Vegas Strip mall that is preferred by families because of the fact that it also serves as a massive entertainment center with video game arcades, the M&M store and the World of Coca-Cola.
Casino Malls
They aren’t necessarily malls per se but several of the casinos in Las Vegas have huge shopping areas with recognizable stores, effectively making them big malls right there in the middle of the Vegas Strip. These malls tend to have higher-end name-brand stores in comparison with the traditional Vegas Strip malls.
• Caesar’s Palace Forum Shops. It is unbelievable how large this shopping center is. Adjacent to the Caesar’s Palace hotel, it’s easy to reach from anywhere on the Vegas Strip. What you’ll find here is a combination of designer brand stores and popular name-brand stores. For example, there are names like Versace as well as names like Diesel. This is one of the best places on the Strip to go for buying clothes although there are plenty of other things to be bought here as well.
• Planet Hollywood’s Miracle Mile Shops. This is the casino shopping mall that is most like the traditional shopping mall. It will look a lot like what you’ll find at a place like Showcase Mall; it just happens to be inside of Planet Hollywood.
• The Venetian’s Grand Canal Shoppes. In terms of the shopping experience, this might be the best casino-based mall on the Strip. That’s because the stores all line canals where gondola rides are given and entertainment can be enjoyed. The “streets” of this indoor mall are cobblestone and you get the sense that you’re outdoors in Italy even though you’re really shopping inside. There is also a great blend of traditional mall stores and designer name stores here so it’s a shopping spot that suits all different types of budgets.
• Via Bellagio. For those upper-crust folks who don’t want to shop in the midst of more average consumers, a better bet for casino shopping is the Bellagio’s set of designer stores. This is the place where you can buy thousand-dollar handbags and the shoes that are showcased on television shows like Sex and the City. Someone in Vegas who is seeking to make an impression with Tiffany diamonds or Fendi accessories will find that the Bellagio is the one-stop spot for racking up the credit card debt.
• Wynn Esplanade. Another fancy place where you can really go crazy with buying brand names that others are sure to recognize is the shopping area of the Wynn. If names like Chanel, Manolo Blahnik and Oscar de la Renta are names that you like to let roll of your tongue then this is the place for you.
• Le Boulevard at Paris. Yet another place where you can spend a lot of money is the shopping available at Paris hotel and casino. This one is great because it provides some of the benefits of the Venetian with some of those at Via Bellagio. On the one hand, the shopping experience is exquisitely designed to make you feel as though you’re really in Paris. On the other hand, the stores tend to be higher-value, boutique-design stores.
Downtown Vegas Shopping
Not all of the action in Vegas takes place on the Strip. In fact, downtown Las Vegas has recently seen a revival of activity. That means that there are a lot of new stores available there. This is a great spot for finding affordable-but-not-tacky souvenir gifts.
• Neonopolis. If you’re a fan of mall shopping then the downtown hotspot you’re seeking out is Neonopolis. Gifts, art and oddities are the best things that you’re going to find here. You’ll also be able to enjoy food and entertainment.
• Random stores. Just walk around downtown and you’ll find a whole lot of stores that you would normally find in strip malls throughout America. If you’re looking to pick up something that you brought with you, ruined and need to replace then this is the area that is your best bet.
Vegas Outlet Stores
Both on the Strip and off, you’ll be able to find great discounts on items you’ll love at the outlet stores. There are many to choose from but you should stick with the biggest and the best:
• Las Vegas Premium Outlets. This outlet mall is located in downtown Las Vegas and is the ultimate place to find bargains on everything under the sun. There are over one hundred and fifty stores to choose from ranging from Calvin Klein to Dolce & Gabbana.
• Fashion Outlets Las Vegas. This is located just outside of Las Vegas in a small city called Primm. If you’re really serious about wanting to do some shopping then it’s worth the trip. Clothing for all styles, accessories and jewelry, luggage, gadgets and gifts can all be purchased here at discounts up to seventy five percent off of their normal price.
Shopping in Greater Las Vegas
Most travelers who are doing shopping in Las Vegas are going to want to concentrate their efforts on the Las Vegas Strip and in downtown Las Vegas. However, Las Vegas is a large and growing city which offers a lot of different shopping opportunities throughout its area. People seeking specialty stores (such as antiques) or true large-scale malls will want to look to the options in the greater Las Vegas area.
Photo credit: Zach Klein
photo credit: slideshow bob
photo credit: Wolfgang Staudt
photo credit: quemas™
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MixxTags: Featured, las vegas, nevada, North America, shopping, united states
Categories: Travel Info
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It’s in my plans to go and spend some € in Las Vegas; this post comes at the right time. Thanks for the information. (I found you on twitter btw).
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