Shopping

Anytime you need a shopping fix, whether you’ve got a hankering for a new pair of dancing shoes or a quad line power foil kite, we’ve got you covered. You can shop morning ’til night from the river to the sea. Venues vary. Take your pick.

Old, Stately Homes    back to top

For starters, meander downtown along the streets in Wilmington’s Historic District to browse the art galleries and small shops. Most of the stores are independently owned and feature out-of-the-ordinary merchandise. Antiques and vintage clothing, crafts including wood carvings, pottery, wall hangings and more, candles, aromatherapy, beachwear, books and jewelry…you’ll be fascinated by the variety, and you won’t get bored, that’s for sure.

Front Street, Water Street, Market Street and several side streets are the best shopping places. Although you can easily walk the circuit, if you tire, take the air-conditioned Front Street Free Trolley, which runs continuously from 7:30 a.m. to 9:20 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 9:20 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. You can get on or off at marked stops along the way. The entire trip takes about 20 minutes.

Stops Along Riverwalk    back to top

From Ann Street and Chandler’s Wharf on the south end of the Riverwalk to the Cotton Exchange at the northern end, you’ll have more than enough places to explore in an afternoon. Along the way, be sure to go into The Old Wilmington City Market for a shopping adventure to remember. The building itself is worth the visit. Built in 1879, the block-long brick and stucco arcade houses kiosks, specialty shops and boutiques offering wonderful treasures, exotic woods, plants, jewelry, clothing and works by local artists.

Found Out How The Conversion Took Place     back to top

When you’ve made your way up to The Cotton Exchange, between Front and Nutt streets, take time to read about its history and how these eight buildings, once part of the world’s largest cotton-exporting company, were converted to a shopping and dining complex in the early 1970s. This tri-level mall is a really fun place to shop. Here you can find all manner of gifts, shells, garden items, blown glass, candy, pottery, kites, flags, stationery and writing instruments, fine quality clothing, desk accessories, authentic Irish and Scottish clothing, sandals, plush toys plus Lionel and HO trains. The Cotton Exchange also has a jeweler that specializes in handcrafted pieces, a Christmas store, ice cream shop and several eateries.

A Refreshing Break    back to top

While you’re shopping downtown, you’ll probably want to stop for some refreshments - perhaps ice cream, tea, a specialty coffee or a glass of wine. Wilmington’s Riverwalk has a tea room and a wine shop/café where you can sit outside on a nice day enjoying your repast while watching boats wend their way up the river. Along Front and Market Streets, you’ll find several storefront java bars and confectionaries to satisfy your desires, too. And if you really need a rest, there are three terrific places downtown to eat and drink. Put Chelsea’s, Caprice Bistro and Deluxe on your must-try list. They are all located in the first four blocks of Market Street coming up from Riverwalk.

Cottage Industry    back to top

An institution in Wilmington that has grown dramatically recently is The Ivy Cottage, an upscale consignment shop that had a modest beginning in one building in the 3000 block of Market Street. Ivy Cottage bought two additional contiguous buildings, and their 25,000 square feet of space is chock full of furniture, jewelry, lamps, rugs, crystal, china, accessories, linens, collectibles, garden ornaments and just about everything else you might want or need. Some Wilmingtonian’s visit the site often, recognizing that the merchandise changes very frequently.

Old, Older, Oldest    back to top

Antiquing is big in these parts, and Wilmington offers a respectable number of shops specializing in fine antiques and collectibles. We have dealers scattered throughout downtown.

New Antique District Develops On Castle    back to top

In fact, antiquing is so popular here that a new district, called the Newcastle Antique Center, has sprung up in the 500 to 700 blocks on Castle Street. There currently are seven popular antiques stores with over 30 dealers located in the Newcastle district and we wouldn’t be surprised if several more stores find their way to this burgeoning neighborhood.

On the drawing boards in the 600 block of Castle is the Village at New Castle, a mixed-use development of upscale condominiums and retail shops. It is scheduled for completion by the end of 2007. Those who live there can walk right across the street to shop at Oriental Rugs at Newcastle (617 Castle) where they will find a huge inventory of old and new, beautifully handmade carpets from around the world.

Shops Located Everywhere    back to top

Several more antique stores are located outside the city and some are in neighboring counties. To assist you in locating places to buy antiques, pick up a free copy of A Guide to Greater Wilmington Antique Shops, widely available wherever tourist pamphlets are displayed.

Plentiful Art Galleries    back to top

Art galleries exist all around Wilmington. Perhaps because of the beauty that surrounds us, a large number of artists have come to the area to paint landscapes, seascapes, portraits, abstracts, nudes or whatever strikes their fancy at the moment. Many have moved here and have been invited to display their works in Wilmington’s numerous galleries. There are so many galleries in fact that it would take days to see them all.

You can get a fair idea of what’s available by visiting two locations. Fountainside Fine Art Gallery is located in Lumina Station, on Eastwood Road just before the bridge to Wrightsville Beach. Fountainside displays paintings, sculptures and beautiful works in glass by very talented artists. One of our favorite artists, Sandy Nelson, displays here work there. Fountainside also mats and frames works of art to bring out the best of the work.

An artists’ cooperative is found at the Newcastle Antique Center. Here numerous artists, members of the Wilmington Art Association, staff the facility and are more than happy to talk with visitors about their work.

Our Enclosed Mall    back to top

Northern transplants and visitors will feel right at home at Independence Mall on Oleander Drive and Independence Boulevard. Anchored by Belk, Dillard’s, JC Penney and Sears, the area’s only totally enclosed shopping mall has approximately 150 stores that can keep you occupied for an entire rainy day. “The Mall,” as it’s commonly called, has the usual assortment of national chain stores from Abercrombie to Zales Jewelers, plus a good selection of independents and numerous kiosks. An ample food court, vendors and several popular restaurants meet the needs of hungry (and thirsty) shoppers. Morning walkers are invited.

Strip Malls Everywhere    back to top

The rest of us are quite accustomed to what locals refer to as strip malls, strip plazas or shopping plazas, which have entrances from outdoor sidewalks (some covered, some not). We’ve got lots of those. They can be found in every community and come in all sizes from only two or three stores to 20-30 businesses.

A Mall In One    back to top

One store almost qualifies as a strip mall unto itself. DDT Outlet, with two locations on Market Street (one in Ogden, one in Hampstead) is chock full of unique merchandise for home and beach. From whimsical to practical, there is something for nearly everyone there.

Many More Options    back to top

We have another large mail in the Military Cutoff and Eastwood Road area, on the far east side of Wilmington, almost to Wrightsville Beach. Situated on 400 acres, the mixed-use development, Mayfaire Town Center and Mayfaire Community Center, offers a wide variety of food and department stores, specialty shops, restaurants, luxury residences, office space and a cinema. Here you’ll enjoy a unique environment designed with your ease and comfort in mind. Parking is plentiful, as well.

Fine Shops And Food    back to top

Across Military Cutoff Road is The Forum, another popular shopping mecca, featuring upscale shops, charming boutiques and two of the best restaurants in Wilmington, The Bento Box and Zooi Euro Bistro. If you’re interested in high-end merchandise, this is the place to find home furnishings, antiques, women’s fashions, jewelry and children’s clothing.

Down the street from the Forum is Landfall Center, a sprawling strip plaza containing several banking centers, specialty shops and restaurants. The Northeast Regional Library and UNCW Executive Development Center are located at the north end.

For a truly local kind of shopping experience, explore the trendy boutiques at Lumina Station on Eastwood Road. This attractively designed and landscaped village boasts more than 25 unique shops, day spa, fitness facilities, fine dining and a relaxing ambiance.

Major Shopping Site    back to top

Another shopping concentration can be found in Monkey Junction, where South College Road merges with Carolina Beach Road (U.S. 421). This rapidly growing shopping center is busy, busy, busy. Clustered around a WalMart superstore and a Lowe’s Home Improvement are several strip plazas, numerous fast-food chains, gas stations, popular restaurants, furniture store, pool center and a supermarket. Nearby are a public library and two medical/urgent care facilities along with doctors’ offices and a pharmacy.

And, of course, you’ll find that we’ve got our share of large chain stores clustered here and there throughout the coastal counties.

You want it? More than likely, we’ve got it!!

Over The River    back to top

Residents of Waterford and Magnolia Greens in Brunswick County are lucky enough to have shops, service providers and restaurants at their doorstep. Situated at The Village Shoppes at Waterford are gift shops, salons, a veterinarian, bank, computer store, landscape designer, several doctors and numerous other medical facilities, a dentist, coffee shop and restaurant.

Whatever you want, it’s more than likely you’ll find it when you explore all the interesting shops in coastal Carolina.