Shopping in Portland

What makes Portland special is its ability to blend big city fun with small town charm and there are perhaps no better examples of this marvelous synthesis than Portland shops. The independently-owned-and-operated-business scene thrives in Portland, thanks to the significant space that supporting local businesses occupies in residents’ collective conscience. This strong local flavor to city commerce makes it easy to find original boutiques and even independent stores that have a big presence in Portland.

Some of the biggest attractions of the Portland shopping scene include Powell’s Books, a 68,000-square-foot independent bookstore that anchors the TriMet’s Fareless Square shopping center downtown, and the city’s Saturday Market, which is the largest open-air farmers’ and crafts market in the whole United States. Portland is also covered with small, original clothing boutiques and vintage stores, making the city’s independent shops treasure troves of unique finds.

Exploring all of the shopping opportunities available in Portland requires visits to various neighborhoods in the city. The Pearl District is home to some of Portland’s trendier boutiques, including Mabel and Zora, and Sellwood, with Madison Park Antiques and Justin & Burks, is the place to go for antiques. The city’s funkiest threads can be found in Hawthorne, in shops like Mink Boutique and Savvy Plus.

Portland also delivers for those seeking widely-recognized brand names. For a great Portland Mall, visit the Lloyd Center in Northeast Portland. At one time, it was the largest shopping mall in the world, and today it still features 175 specialty shops and four department stores: Macy's, Nordstrom, Sears, and Marshall's.

Whether seeking rare books, clothing, records, or antiques, or items produced by world-famous brands, the stores of Portland will not disappoint. Shopping in Portland offers all of the products that any other city does, but in the kind of small town environment no longer found in other American metropolises.