Shopping in Las Vegas Tips
Of course, Vegas has luxury brand stores inside the strip hotels. We even saw Nicholas Cage coming out of one recently. This post is for everyone else who isn’t shopping at those stores!
- Table of Contents show
The Outlet Malls.
There are two big Simon Mall brand outlet malls in central Las Vegas. The North mall is outdoor and nicer. It’s easy to get to by bus from any hotel on the strip, or it’s easy to park if you’re driving. The indoor South mall is a few miles south of Mandalay Bay on Las Vegas Boulevard and is also easy to get to by public bus. A single bus fare is $2, or you can get a bus pass to suit your length of stay. In the height of Summer when the temperatures rise to 110 and above, the South mall will be a cool retreat from the heat.
The outlet mall stores are a mix of luxury brands and normal brands like The Gap. As a local, I mostly buy things like shorts at Reebok and Nike, so don’t forget about picking up these types of basics.
Town Square.
Town Square is an outdoor shopping complex on Las Vegas Blvd. It’s a mile or so south of Mandalay Bay on the south end of the Strip. You can get there on the bus from the Strip easily.
It has a big Whole Foods Market, an Apple store, Sephora, and a bunch of other stores likely to be of interest to international visitors.
Pro tips:
– Town Square has a small playground for kids, including a water playground for hot days. Definitely include a visit there if you’re traveling to Vegas with little kids.
– Fry’s electronics have a useful price matching policy if you’re an international visitor looking to pick up electronics.
Ross Dress for Less.
Ross prices are cheaper than the outlet malls, but a lot more picking through is required. There are lots of Ross stores in Vegas, including one right on the strip.
If you’re American, you likely have Ross stores in your hometown and won’t need to bother with this. If you’re international, it’s a must-see stop!
Downtown Summerlin.
Downtown Summerlin is much less convenient to the Strip compared to Town Square but it’s a nice place to shop. It’s so new that Google maps can have a little trouble finding it. It’s a big outdoor mall, like Town Square. This stop is only really practical if you have a car.
Town Square, the North Outlet Mall, and Downtown Summerlin have an almost Disneyland type quality to them because they’re so clean and sort of like fake main streets, in the way Disney has a fake main street. They’re very American in a way that I like, and I think other international visitors will like.
- Basics.
Vegas has tons of Walmarts and multiple locations for Target, Apple, REI, Barnes and Noble, Best Buy, and all the main US chains of stores. These are spread out so you’ll definitely need a car if you plan to hit them up.
If you’re international visitors who are stocking up before you head out on a US road trip, and need things like a cooler or camping gear, then Vegas is a good place to do that shopping. Parking is easy, and traffic is not too bad at all. It’s much easier to drive around Vegas than somewhere like LA or SF.
- Downtown Las Vegas.
There isn’t too much in the way of shopping in Downtown Las Vegas. It’s re-developing but indie stores are only slowly making their way there e.g., an indie book store called The Writer’s Block just arrived.
The Container Park is a very nice outdoor spot for spending an evening. Pretty much every time we go there the people I’m with end up getting gourmet hotdogs, but there are other tasty food options too.
The courtyard at the back of the Gold Spike (former casino) is a fun spot for an evening drink.
