To walk through the city's historic district is to succumb to the allure of the many quaint shops and a perfect chance to "shop until you drop" or to just browse for a souvenir for someone special. Maybe you'd like a new outfit for a night on the town…or even a whole new wardrobe from one of Charleston's upscale clothing stores. Perhaps you'd like to sample homemade delectables from a bakery or candy shop….or get lost in a used bookstore hunting for a first edition. Just about anything you can imagine is available in the Charleston area marketplace.
Old City Market
A great place for any shopping enthusiast to start is the Old City Market in downtown Charleston. The Market has been a primary shopping district in the city for nearly 200 years. Stretching from East Bay Street all the way to Meeting Street, the Market was built on land given to the City of Charleston in the 18th century by Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
The vendors, which include many local artisans and international importers who occupy the Open Air Market and the adjoining enclosed Rainbow Market, not only bring flair and individuality to this unique shopping area, they also guarantee that you'll always find something unusual to take home. Local crafts, including the famous Charleston sweetgrass baskets, are popular, along with a whole menagerie of collectibles, clothing, and miscellany. And while you're there, stop by the many fine shops and restaurants that line either side of the historic Market. In fact, you should plan to make a day of it.
East Bay, Queen and Meeting Streets
East Bay Street, which lies at the west end of the historic Market, has been the hub of commerce in Charleston since the late 1600s. Where rice, indigo and cotton were once bought and sold, today many specialty shops and restaurants occupy the refurbished buildings and warehouses that line the waterfront street. East Bay Street is also home to the S.C. Aquarium to the north, and Waterfront Park and Rainbow Row to the south. A day in Charleston can easily start and end on East Bay Street.
A walk down Queen Street is like stepping back in time. Charming art galleries and boutiques stand amidst homes and professional businesses for a picture of life from a bygone era. Peek into the manicured gardens behind the iron gates, or stop for a meal or refreshment along the way. You'll always be surprised at what you'll find on Queen Street.
Meeting Street, above Broad Street, is yet another shopping adventure. At the easternmost end of the Market, visitors enjoy the upscale Charleston Place shopping mall. Additional shops with books, clothing and gifts are scattered among the historic homes and museums along Meeting Street.
King Street Shopping - State of the arts
Charleston shopping offers everything from highly coveted hand-made crafts, such as sweetgrass baskets in local markets, to trendy designer fashions, on par with the current styles and designs of New York, Paris and South Beach.
On Lower King, shoppers can buy fine art, clothing, home furnishings and décor, toys, jewelry, flowers, gifts among wonderful city inns and restaurants. Locals have dubbed one historic section of Lower King Street, between Beaufain and Queen streets, “The Antiques District” – a perfect place in the city for a stroll to enjoy the day doing some treasure hunting.
The shops of Charleston Place were established 20 years ago and were the original Charleston high fashion and fashion-forward boutiques. The shops spill over onto King Street just above "antiques row".
Upper King Street is Charleston's new "design district" having recently attracted over $400 million in private investment with new professional office space, upscale restaurants, retail and nightlife – the place to be and be seen in Charleston.
Learn more about King Street history and emerging new businesses here.
Mount Pleasant
Located just across the Cooper River from Charleston is the lovely and historic town of Mount Pleasant. During the past 20 years, Mount Pleasant has experienced rapid, but carefully planned development. While gaining the positive attributes of a city, Mount Pleasant has carefully preserved its rich heritage and small town appeal.
Today, Mount Pleasant offers visitors reasonably priced accommodations, upscale and scenic dining, carefully preserved historical attractions, first-rate recreational facilities and some of the best shopping available in the area.
Mount Pleasant offers a wide variety of experiences for the eager shopper. The Mount Pleasant Farmer's Market takes place each Tuesday from mid- April through October at Fort Moultrie Middle School on Coleman Boulevard. The Farmer's Market, which is open from 4 p.m. until dark, features great vegetables, baked goods and tons more.
In the heart of Mount Pleasant's historic Shem Creek Village seafood restaurant district, visitors are invited to step back in time to enjoy old-fashioned shopping in a quaint colonial-style courtyard. At the Common Courtyard Shops, you'll find friendly local merchants and artists who will entertain you as well as serve you.
Quaint locally owned shops, including antique and consignment shops, as well as modern strip malls line Coleman Boulevard and Highway 17, Mount Pleasant's main traffic arteries. But the ultimate shopper won't want to miss the town's latest shopping Mecca, Mount Pleasant Towne Centre.
Opened in 1999, Towne Centre was designed to be reminiscent of an "uptown" shopping district where shopper can stroll along tree-lined streets to window shop. Books, shoes, music, clothing, accessories, electronics and home furnishings area all available at Towne Centre. Don't forget dinner in a relaxed family atmosphere and a movie in the 16-screen, state-of-the-art theater before calling it a night.
Kiawah Island
If you're up for a short trip to the beach, Kiawah Island Golf Resort is home to a variety of specialty shops and galleries featuring unique items for nearly every taste.
The Straw Market Shops at Kiawah Island Golf Resort offer an array of choices that belie their quaint setting. The immaculately landscaped shops have a beautiful boardwalk that snakes between the stores, providing a shopping experience unmatched in the Charleston area. Resort apparel for the whole family, outdoor wear and gear, golf and tennis merchandise and restaurants and snack shops entice shoppers to browse the afternoon away.
The Sanctuary, Kiawah Island Golf Resort's exquisitely designed luxurious oceanfront hotel, is home to nine exclusive shops. They feature the finest in sportswear and high fashion, gifts and art, snacks and even real estate.
While you're in the area, don't miss Bohicket Marina. Located just off the Intracoastal Waterway between Kiawah and Seabrook Islands, Bohicket is one of the Carolina's best kept secrets. The marina is the perfect place to spend an afternoon browsing in the shops, or enjoying a fine meal watching the sunset over the water.
Just across the road from Bohicket is the area's newest shopping sensation. Freshfields Village is a 60-acre shopping center that features dozens of shops and offices, 200 residential units, 10 acres of parks and an outdoor amphitheater. The upscale complex is anchored by Newton Farms. This premier marketplace showcases fine foods from around the world in a sophisticated, yet familiar "farmer's market" atmosphere, where nothing but the best is offered.
Summerville
While you're shopping, you won't want to miss the Summerville experience. Known as the "Flowertown in the Pines," Summerville is a historic village located just north of Charleston that plantation owners created long ago as an escape from epidemics of yellow fever. Today, Summerville offers sophisticated shopping and dining flavored with hometown hospitality that many thought no longer existed.
In Summerville, the temptation to shop is around every corner. You'll find high quality catalog clothing at a discount, the works of juried artisans, hand-made smocked baby clothes, topiary dessert plates, exquisite bed linens, award-winning pottery and art, heirloom jewelry, antique quilts and needlework supplies, hand-painted Lowcountry scenes, custom stained glass, luscious home accessories, and angels, all over town.
Weary spouses appreciate the convenient rocking chairs and benches placed in front of downtown shops. Add a little fresh-squeezed orangeade, lemonade or a cherry Coke from the soda fountain at the pharmacy, and the next round of shopping will be absolutely fun!
North Charleston
The Tanger Outlet Center of Charleston, which opened in the fall of 2006, is the Charleston area's first authentic brand-name outlet shopping center concept. Designed with an upscale, Southern charm reminiscent of historic downtown Charleston with its many intimate streets and squares, this 352,000-square-foot mall features more than 100 famous brand names and designer outlet stores, along with a food court, all serving the area's local population as well as its five million annual visitors.
The Center offers the best outlet prices on the finest brand-name merchandise, from men, women and children's clothing, shoes and accessories to jewelry, luggage and leather goods, to gifts, sporting gear, housewares and electronics. There's just no limit to the great bargains found at Tanger Outlet Center.
Whatever you're seeking, from the fashionable to the exotic to the rare, Charleston guarantees a memorable "shop until you drop" experience.
For a guide to shopping in Charleston, click here.
In the heart of Charleston's historic gallery district, on King Street, Sprock represents original artwork of American and Russian artists, with primarily figurative or landscape paintings and photography. A private dealer and consultant for many years, her gallery brings artists from around the globe adding international flair to Charleston's traditional art scene.
At Ben Silver we like to say that "Classic Style has always been our business". This season we have put together a wardrobe for gentlemen and women who understand quality in materials and workmanship and who appreciate the classic styling to which we have always remained true. When unable to visit us, please browse our site or call us for our catalog: 1-800-221-4671. Haute couture to casual wear.
Berlin's is a Charleston original. Four generations in the clothing business and 117 years at the same address. No wonder we're known as the store that made King & Broad famous. So don't look for Berlin's in a mall. We don't fit anybody's cookie cutter mold. Specializing in custom tailored clothing for men. Tuxedo rentals for weddings and special occassions.
To walk through the city's historic district is to succumb to the allure of the many quaint shops and a perfect chance to "shop until you drop" or to just browse for a souvenir for someone special. Maybe you'd like a new outfit for a night on the town…or even a whole new wardrobe from one of Charleston's upscale clothing stores. Perhaps you'd like to sample homemade delectables from a bakery or candy shop….or get lost in a used bookstore hunting for a first edition. Just about anything you can imagine is available in the Charleston area marketplace.
The vendors, which include many local artisans and international importers who occupy the Open Air Market and the adjoining enclosed Rainbow Market, not only bring flair and individuality to this unique shopping area, they also guarantee that you'll always find something unusual to take home. Local crafts, including the famous Charleston sweetgrass baskets, are popular, along with a whole menagerie of collectibles, clothing, and miscellany. And while you're there, stop by the many fine shops and restaurants that line either side of the historic Market. In fact, you should plan to make a day of it.
Located just across the Cooper River from Charleston is the lovely and historic town of Mount Pleasant. During the past 20 years, Mount Pleasant has experienced rapid, but carefully planned development. While gaining the positive attributes of a city, Mount Pleasant has carefully preserved its rich heritage and small town appeal. 
The Straw Market Shops at Kiawah Island Golf Resort offer an array of choices that belie their quaint setting. The immaculately landscaped shops have a beautiful boardwalk that snakes between the stores, providing a shopping experience unmatched in the Charleston area. Resort apparel for the whole family, outdoor wear and gear, golf and tennis merchandise and restaurants and snack shops entice shoppers to browse the afternoon away.
In Summerville, the temptation to shop is around every corner. You'll find high quality catalog clothing at a discount, the works of juried artisans, hand-made smocked baby clothes, topiary dessert plates, exquisite bed linens, award-winning pottery and art, heirloom jewelry, antique quilts and needlework supplies, hand-painted Lowcountry scenes, custom stained glass, luscious home accessories, and angels, all over town.
In the heart of Charleston's historic gallery district, on King Street, Sprock represents original artwork of American and Russian artists, with primarily figurative or landscape paintings and photography. A private dealer and consultant for many years, her gallery brings artists from around the globe adding international flair to Charleston's traditional art scene. 
At Ben Silver we like to say that "Classic Style has always been our business". This season we have put together a wardrobe for gentlemen and women who understand quality in materials and workmanship and who appreciate the classic styling to which we have always remained true. When unable to visit us, please browse our site or call us for our catalog: 1-800-221-4671. Haute couture to casual wear. 
Berlin's is a Charleston original. Four generations in the clothing business and 117 years at the same address. No wonder we're known as the store that made King & Broad famous. So don't look for Berlin's in a mall. We don't fit anybody's cookie cutter mold. Specializing in custom tailored clothing for men. Tuxedo rentals for weddings and special occassions.
