Shopping in Burlington

Before stepping onto the ice or the baseball diamond, members of the Carolina Hurricanes and the Durham Bulls pay a visit to Drs. Michael Peters and Jason Price of Eye Care Associates, who have provided top-notch eyeglasses, contact lenses, and eye exams for nearly 35 years. The vision specialists help rid blurriness from pucks, balls, and signs held by adoring fans. When they’re not gazing into the eyes of athletes, they and their fellow doctors at a network of clinics stay busy correcting the vision of seniors, children, and adults. The company topped Indy Week's 2012 Readers’ Choice poll for best optometrists in the area and received a Standing Ovation award as the best eyecare center in the Triangle in 2012 from readers of Metro Magazine.

Camcor was founded in 1949—one year after commercial programs debuted on television. In the 63 years since, Camcor has flexed and adapted, staying relevant and cutting edge in spite of the technology industry's rapid pace of change. Today, the retailer continues to sell the best gadgets for the home and office.

Communication devices such headsets, microphones, or soup cans attached to strings help clients relay messages loud and clear. Archival technologies, including digital cameras, memory cards, and film, help clients preserve memories. Camcor also supplies equipment for offices, facilitating digital presentations and shadow-puppet shows with multimedia projectors and screens. As an authorized dealer for 112 brands including Canon, Maxwell, Panasonic, and Zenith, Camcor has access to trainings and information directly from vendors. Camcor backs its products with full warranties.

Direct Tools Factory Outlet equips crafty builders with an ample supply of hardware, vacuums, grills, and table saws sourced directly from top manufacturers. Grilling and outdoor kitchen equipment from STOK provision barbecues and cookouts with juicy briskets and steaks through a steady supply of discontinued, reconditioned, and factory-overrun products—brand-new, unused equipment shipped directly from the assembly line after excess production or accidental cloning. Dirt Devil vacuums suction off contaminants from carpets and shop floors, and cleaning products and pressure washers from G-Clean lend a pristine sparkle to driveways and car surfaces. An arsenal of drills and table saws from Ryobi lends structural soundness to household projects with speedy efficiency and trusty precision.

A partner of Superior Play Systems, Backyard Paradise beckons kids to gallivant across a showroom packed with safety-focused equipment. Laughter spreads throughout the indoor play haven as little ones bound about on wooden play sets, swings, and slides. Sports-focused areas let athletes step onto a putting green or finally dunk their chocolate milk in a Performance basketball hoop. Elsewhere, a trampoline's springy surface helps jumpers evade gravity's grasp.

With winter escaping like a bag of spilled gravy, now is the ideal time to throw open the windows and get home-care projects underway. Pick up a Steel Grip six-piece screwdriver set for $8.49, a VPT rip hammer for $6.29, and a whole bunch of screws, anchors, and bolts (prices vary), and you'll be ready to finally mount every buffalo nickel and steel penny in your coin collection. Illuminate the newfound décor with a 12-pack of Ace light bulbs ($21.48), the better to see by as you make use of a Wooster Painter's Choice roller kit ($10.49). If you need to match paint to a favorite coverlet or choose a hue that complements a pleather recliner, each store offers a paint-matching service free of charge. Get keys made, or clean a barnacle-encrusted carpet with the help of a carpet-cleaning machine.

Runners are different. Different from non-runners and different from each other. Raleigh Running Outfitters' Jim Micheels understands this uniqueness. With more than 25 years of running experience and over 20 marathons under his belt, Jim is well versed in the art of motion. In return, Jim and his staff of running experts provide customers with the latest gear and technology to keep moving until someone completes the first Transatlantic marathon.

Inside the athletic outfitter, shelves brim with more than 60 styles of running shoes, along with racks of shorts, jackets, and shirts that keep body temperatures regulated. A video gait analysis system tracks customers' leg movement to analyze their stride, ankle motion, and foot strike.