The Asheville shopping scene is diverse, ranging from shopping malls with national chain stores to quaint downtowns throughout western North Carolina. Browsing interesting shops can be a very romantic way to spend an afternoon.
Downtown Asheville makes shopping so much fun. There are many beautiful streets to stroll with historic buildings filled with so many unique shops and galleries. The bustling area features 200+ locally-owned stores, 30-some galleries featuring local and international art and craft, and several antique shops. The Grove Arcade is a must-stop (pic at top). Most stores are open Monday-Saturday until 6 PM. Many are open at night and on Sundays. With street performers and plenty of restaurants, bakeries and breweries for frequent breaks. For a better look, go to our Downtown Photo Tour. For a list of galleries, go to our Gallery Guide.
Biltmore Village at the entrance to the Biltmore Estate is a delight to shop as you browse dozens of shops, galleries and boutiques in historic buildings. Read more.
West Asheville is home to many local, funky shops, resale, vintage & consignment stores, boutiques and galleries. Biltmore Park is a modern "urban village" with many shops and restaurants.
Browse local shops for plenty of unique items in the quaint downtowns of our Coolest NC Mountain Towns.
Shopping Top Spots
Battery Park Book Exchange
More Downtown Asheville Shopping
Go to our Asheville Galleries Guide for downtown art galleries. Find Asheville Antique Shopping.
Downtown Bookstores: Malaprop's Bookstore (55 Haywood Street) has thrived in downtown Asheville since 1982. Its vast book selection includes major sections devoted to local authors and regional titles, fiction and nonfiction, and poetry. They run author events Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Open every day, until 9 PM on Monday-Thursday and 10 PM on Friday & Saturday. The Battery Park Book Exchange & Champagne Bar (1 Page Avenue) is a must stop for any book lover for this wine bar meets library. Located in the Grove Arcade, they have more than 22,000 books to peruse while enjoying a glass of wine or espresso. The Captain’s Bookshelf (31 Page Avenue) was established in 1976, buying and selling secondhand and rare books on an international level.
Wall Street: From custom sandals to clothing from Ireland, you will find a cute avenue of trendy shops, galleries and restaurants. If walking, the best place to enter Wall Street is via Battery Park Avenue near the intersection of Haywood Street.
Woolworth Walk: Arts and crafts emporium with more than 150 exhibiting artists in 20,000 sq. ft. of display and studio space. 25 Haywood Street.
Kress Emporium: Collection of excellence in art, from luminous stained glass and hand-thrown ceramics to elegant paintings, evocative sculptures, extraordinary handcrafted jewelry and much more from 80 distinguished regional artists and craftspeople. 19 Patton Avenue.
Tops Shoes: This mecca for shoe lovers sprawls through several buildings and can be entered from Lexington Avenue, College Street or Rankin Avenue.
Mast General Store: One of our main "anchor" stores is this 1940s-style emporium with comfortable clothing, traditional housewares, old-time barrel candy and a great mountain outfitters section. 15 Biltmore Avenue.
This is the best area in... read more
