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San Diego’s retail landscape has changed radically in recent years with the opening of several new shopping centers—some in historic buildings—that are focused more on locally owned boutiques than national retailers. Where once the Gaslamp was the place to go for urban apparel and unique home decor, many independently owned boutiques have decided to set up shop in the charming neighborhoods east of Balboa Park known as North Park and South Park. Although Downtown is still thriving, any shopping trip to San Diego should include venturing out to the city’s diverse and vibrant neighborhoods. Not far from Downtown, Little Italy is the place to find contemporary art, modern furniture, and home accessories.
Old Town is a must for pottery, ceramics, jewelry, and handcrafted baskets. Uptown is known for its mélange of funky bookstores, offbeat gift shops, and nostalgic collectibles and vintage stores. The beach towns offer the best swimwear and sandals. La Jolla’s chic boutiques offer a more intimate shopping experience, along with some of the classiest clothes, jewelry, and shoes in the county. The new La Plaza La Jolla is an open-air shopping center with boutiques and galleries in a Spanish-style building overlooking the cove. Point Loma’s Liberty Station shopping area in the former Naval Training Center has art galleries, restaurants, and home stores. Trendsetters will have no trouble finding must-have handbags and designer apparel at the world-class Fashion Valley mall in Mission Valley, a haven for luxury brands such as Hermès, Gucci, and Jimmy Choo.
Enjoy near-perfect weather year-round as you explore shops along the scenic waterfront. The Headquarters at Seaport is a new open-air shopping and dining center in the city’s former Police Headquarters building. Here there are some big names, but mostly locally owned boutiques selling everything from gourmet cheese to coastal-inspired home accessories. Just next door, Seaport Village is still the place to go for trinkets and souvenirs. If you don’t discover what you’re looking for in the boutiques, head to Westfield Horton Plaza, the Downtown mall with more than 120 stores. The sprawling mall completed a major restoration project in 2016 to include a new public plaza, amphitheater, and fountains.
Most malls have free parking in a lot or garage, and parking is not usually a problem. Westfield Horton Plaza and some of the shops in the Gaslamp Quarter offer validated parking or valet parking.
With a county-fair atmosphere and proceeds benefiting La Jolla Elementary, this large market features not only fresh produce and flowers, but also paintings from local artists, handmade clothing and jewelry, and a tempting food court serving everything from crepes and tacos to gyros and roasted corn on the cob. The market is open Sunday 9–1 pm.
One block from La Jolla Shores beach, this local institution stocks hip beach and resort wear, plus top-brand surfboards, bodyboards, and wet suits. The shop also rents surf and stand-up paddleboards, beach chairs, umbrellas, kayaks, and snorkel gear.
Sean Barnes' unique boutique offers a variety of home goods that defy conservative decor aesthetics. From trendy Jonathan Adler furnishings to psychedelic pillows, plates, candles, lamps, bar and tabletop goods, and even bespoke cannabis accessories (it's legal in California), this is not your run-of-the-mill housewares emporium.
Come prepared to dig through rows upon rows of new and used vinyl, carefully selected by the audiophiles who run the locally owned record shop. Keep an eye on their schedule for live performances, in-store artist signing events, listening parties, and, of course, Record Store Day deals every April and Black Friday.
Grab your hipster plaid flannels, cleverly named candles, linen jumpsuits, plant-dyed bandanas, and canvas backpacks at this Instagram-worthy shop where you can stock up on clothing, home goods, and accessories, all while sipping on a craft cocktail or coffee.
This huge beach-themed store is filled with seashells of every size and shape, nautical decor items, wind chimes, T-shirts, swimwear, accessories, and toys. For the ultimate OB souvenir, grab a sticker or shirt featuring the OB seagull logo, representing the notorious beach town for nearly 50 years.
San Diego's largest weekend artisan market presents live music and local artists selling jewelry, paintings, photography, handblown glass, apparel, pottery, and decorative items. The market kicks off at 9 am, so plan to arrive early to snag your goodies before it gets crowded. Getting there is easy—the San Diego Trolley's Old Town stop is two blocks north of the market.
The atmosphere is colorful, upbeat, and Mexico-centric at this eclectic market with 40 shops and restaurants to choose from. Local artisans create some of the wares for sale, including everything from dolls and silver jewelry to gourmet foods, home-decor items, and apparel. Stop by the free museum for a history lesson of the area and building, which served as a seminary, convent, and a USO during World War 2.
The shoe shop carries its own house brand of Valentina and Amalfi Rangoni footwear, as well as handbags.
If you're looking for trinkets and souvenirs, this is the place. This complex of kitschy shops and waterfront restaurants has upped its hip factor with boutiques like
This spacious warehouse bears the James Coffee logo on the front and the intoxicating scent of its pour-over brews inside, but the building houses more than just the local coffee roaster. Its tenants rotate every so often, but currently include a bookshop, full-service salon, chiropractor office, and other small businesses and pop-ups throughout the year.
Tea lovers and the tea curious can browse through hundreds of loose-leaf teas at Tea Bazaar, which also has stalls in numerous farmers' markets across the city. Green, herbal, chai, black—every type of tea you can imagine is here, along with experts to guide you toward your next favorite.
This indie boutique in South Park’s historic 30th & Fern building is filled with quirky art, jewelry, gifts, and clothing from emerging designers and artists using recycled or repurposed materials. Take advantage of their custom Build-A-Box option to create a one-of-a-kind souvenir.
This quaint little gallery brings a little edge to otherwise sleepy La Jolla, showing off some of the best lowbrow and street artists in the city. This is a great place to purchase something truly unique for a low price.
This festive "store of the kings" stocks Old Town's largest selection of Day of the Dead art, and carries sculpture, handbags, and glassware from Mexico and Peru.
This cozy shop is filled with a well-curated selection of wines by small producers from around the world, with lots of organic, minimal intervention, and natural wines to choose from, as well as some hard-to-find bottles. The staff is knowledgable and friendly, always ready to make recommendations or pour a glass. Check their schedule for pop-ups, live music, and other events that take place inside or on their comfortable outdoor patio space.
A converted Craftsman house in a mixed residential and business area of South Park, Vinyl Junkies Record Shack is easy to spot, due to its bright orange walls inside and colorful murals outside. Spun off of a seasonal pop-up record swap event, Vinyl Junkies' brick-and-mortar shop is an appealing visit for both diehard record collectors and casual browsers alike. Its selection is well curated, and its walls are lined with an impressive array of eye candy, from classic show posters to vintage record players. DJs regularly spin during shopping hours, and on weekends the store hosts live performances outside.
Spend a little time in the adjacent Digger's Den, where every record is priced $5 or under.
The Japanese artist Takao owns this gallery-like shop that sells beautifully handcrafted home-decor items—tableware, glass vases, tea sets, and decorative gifts.
This family-owned-and-operated bookstore has been a La Jolla fixture since 1939, and often hosts big-name author signings. They also carry stationery, calendars, and other gifts.
This once generic mall has gone through some upgrades in recent years, adding shops like Eighteen Threads (the official retailer for San Diego's newest professional men's soccer team, San Diego FC) and eateries like 365° Korean BBQ and Novo Brazil Brewing. Other anchor businesses include Target, Michael's, AMC Theaters, and Bloomingdale's.
This popular outdoor mall on the east side of I–5 has more than 150 shops and 40 eateries, plus an ArcLight Cinema and a children's play area. In addition to on-trend fashion stores, it features landscaped plazas, alfresco dining restaurants, wellness amenities, office space, movie theaters, and a trolley station that connects Westfield UTC to downtown. Nordstrom and Macy's anchor the center, and specialty stores of note include Louis Vuitton, CHANEL Fragrance & Beauty, Restoration Hardware, and Apple. One of the country's greenest shopping centers, UTC has lush gardens, open-air plazas, and pedestrian-friendly walkways.
Presenting a more chic, yet still casual alternative to the beach attire available throughout the island, Wild Dove offers a selection of fashion-forward women's apparel appropriate for both work and play. Handbags and other accessories make for a complete outfit.
This overwhelmingly stocked emporium with a large selection of wines also features a long list of other beverages, from rums and tequilas to mezcals and local craft beers.
The mere scent of Ye Olde's hand-fashioned soaps conjures up a relaxing bath. If you want to craft your own soaps, you'll find a full line of supplies, as well as soaps and lotions from around the world.
A 40-minute drive north of Downtown San Diego, this outdoor shopping center contains more than 90 outlet stores, including designer brands like Coach, Cole Haan, Kate Spade New York, and Michael Kors.
Women seeking high-end European designer fashions and accessories love this shop's fine cashmere from Scotland, stylish classics from Italy and France, and sportswear from Herno.
About 30 miles east of the city on Viejas Indian Reservation, this outlet mall in the community of Alpine is situated across from the Viejas Casino & Resort. Major brands represented here include Coach, Guess, Levi's, Polo Ralph Lauren, and Wilsons Leather. Free entertainment is offered year-round at the ShowCourt. Kids enjoy the FunZone Arcade, bowling, and ice rink (open late October through January).
