Best Charleston, SC Shopping

About Charleston, SC Shopping

Charleston is home to South Carolina's biggest and best shopping variety, both downtown and in the surrounding towns and suburbs. On the peninsula, downtown Charleston's historic charm and tradition is preserved in the amount of local, boutique style shops and in the noticeable lack of bigger chain stores. While some national brands have managed to move downtown, a day of shopping here is totally unique to Charleston.

Most of Charleston's downtown shopping scene is unofficially referred to by its location in one of four main areas: Market Street, Upper King, Middle King, and Lower King. Upper King’s Design and Nightlife District is home to many furniture and interior design stores, as well as a smattering of small, locally run boutiques. The Charleston Farmers Market can also be found here, packed with visitors and locals each Saturday morning. Middle King is where you’ll find the few chain stores that have come to Charleston’s downtown such as Urban Outfitters, housed in an old theatre, Gap, Victoria's Secret and Anthropologie. Venturing down towards the Battery to Lower King’s Antiques District, shoppers may browse through a number of antique shops like historic fixture Geo. C. Birlant & Co., children’s boutiques and even a makeup bar. Market Street is home to Charleston’s Historic City Market and many other souvenir shops.

Off the peninsula, visitors looking for vacation bargain shopping can head to the nearby Tanger Outlet Mall in North Charleston or the check out the more upscale boutiques and department stores of Mount Pleasant's Towne Center.

About Clare Sweeney

A South Carolina native and avid locavore, Clare is always venturing between traveling abroad and her beloved Lowcountry. 

Clare works and plays in downtown Charleston, spending her days enjoying the city’s perpetually sunny weather, nearby beaches and ever-growing food and craft beer scene.

Read more about Clare here.