Holiday Shopping in Las Vegas
Shopping Arcades, Mega-Malls, Ethnic Stores Offer Nevada-style Gifts
From a new 1.5 million square foot Town Square Mall to a Mediterranean-style village of special shops, Las Vegas ranks as one of the prime shopping spots in North America
Instead of visiting Las Vegas to see the casinos and shows, savvy shoppers go to do their holiday shopping. Why? Because the shops -- like Las Vegas itself – are different from anything you'll find back home.
Hotel Resort Shopping Arcades
Windows along Bellagio Hotel Resort’s Via Bellagio dazzle with merchandise from Tiffany, Chanel, Armani, Hermes and their equally prestigious neighbors. It’s a great place for window shopping, as is Wynn’s Las Vegas. Shopping arcades at hotels like the Venetian and Paris Las Vegas carry items at more affordable prices. The 170 business places in the Miracle Mile Shops adjacent to the recently re-branded Planet Hollywood (formerly the Aladdin) range from GAPKids and Christmas Corner to the Discovery Channel Store and Houdini’s Magic Shop.
The “Strip” Malls
The two major malls along the Strip are among its most popular attractions. Fashion Show Mall, with seven anchor stores (Bloomingdale's Home, Dillard, Macy's two stores, Neiman-Marcus, Robinsons-May, Saks Fifth Avenue) includes a performance area with retractable runway for fashion shows.
At the Forum Shops at Caesars, the statues talk and the ceiling-sky constantly changes overhead. Lining the Roman streetscape, Gucci, Escada, Gianni Versace and Louis Vuitton display the latest from Rome and Paris. In the Atlantis section of the complex, FAO Schwartz sells gifts that enchant young and old alike.
Low-Dough Shopping
Two super-size outlets malls on U. S. Highway 15 near the edge of town, offer a wide array of shops. One of the best, Off Fifth Saks Fifth Avenue, located in a freestanding building at the Belz Factory Outlet complex, carries everything from women's bathing suits and men's leather belts to crystal bowls and top-of-the-line luggage at a fraction -- sometimes just fifteen or twenty percent -- of the original price.
Ethnic Shopping
One of the city’s most interesting shopping complexes, Chinatown Center (4200 Spring Mountain Road) offers Asian furniture, homeware and art objects at stores including Valley Oriental Art Works and Chong Hing Jewelry. Chinatown Florist specializes in miniature bamboo arrangements, while 99 Ranch Market carries oriental food products you generally won’t find at home. There are also Ethiopian, Mideast and Mexacan markets scattered in various parts of the city.
Logo Shops
Several hotel/casinos/restaurants, such as the Hard Rock/Harley-Davidson Café and Hooters include logo shops or counters. Among the best is the shop in the Hard Rock Hotel, where you will find quality clothing from leather backpacks to aloha shirts. You’ll even find M&Ms-related merchandise if you go to Showcase Mall, 3785 Las Vegas Blvd, S.
Mega-Malls
The newest of these super-size shopping areas is Town Square, which opened in mid-November 2007. The 1.5 million-square-foot “lifestyle center” is a veritable town of about 150 shops, entertainment venues and more than a dozen restaurants (they’re all listed at www.townsquarelasvegas.com).
Slower-Paced Shopping
Las Vegas museum gift shops are great places to buy educational toys for children, such as live potted cactus plants and science kits at the Las Vegas Natural History Museum (900 Las Vegas Blvd. N). Shops at the art and historical museums offer out-of-the-ordinary books, decorative home accessories and other items for adults at reasonable prices.
Nature lovers will want to check out the Visitors Center gift shop at Red Rock Recreation Area, just west of town, while the stores in MonteLago Village at Lake Las Vegas, 17 miles southeast of the Strip, offer an additional low-stress alternative. Reminiscent of a picturesque Italian hill town, the village’s specialty shops are housed in Mediterranean-style buildings of ochre, burnt sienna and off-white
