The 15 Best Places To Shop In Charleston

Carve out a little time to find a memorable Holy City souvenir.

From settling in for a long lunch at Leon's Oyster Shop to strolling the colorful length of Rainbow Row, there's no shortage of ways to while away a weekend in Charleston, South Carolina. In between garden tours, historic home visits, and dinner reservations, you'll want to carve out a little time to experience the Holy City's shopping scene too. From family-owned garden boutiques to globally minded social-enterprise spots, these are our 15 favorite places to shop in Charleston.

Abide A While

Founded in 1957, the name of this family-owned nursery and garden boutique in Mount Pleasant speaks for itself: Plan to linger here over flowering annuals, seasonal containers, and an artful assortment of home goods and jewelry; abideawhile.com

Blue Bicycle Books

Jonathan Sanchez’s shop on King Street takes its bookstack seriously. If piled on top of each other, they claim, their collection of used, rare, and local books would reach 1,565 feet high (for comparison, the steeple of nearby St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church climbs just 265 feet). Pop in for a breezy beach novel or a Charleston-themed coffee table book to commemorate your travels; bluebicyclebooks.com

Candlefish

Shop hand-poured soy wax candles in scents pulled from their library of 100 fragrances—or make your own—in this King Street corner store, which also carries a selection of jewelry, home goods, and bath products; candlefish.com

Charleston Artist Collective

This gallery in Mt. Pleasant, a suburb of Charleston, highlights burgeoning and established local artists and offers a range of works at varying price points in the spirit of encouraging collectors of all ages and backgrounds. Each month, the group also gives a percentage of art sales to benefit a selected local charity partner; charleston.artistcollectives.org

Charleston City Market

More than 300 entrepreneurs peddle their wares at the historic market, but the real reason to shop here is the resident Gullah artisans, who honor and celebrate their West African heritage through the craft of weaving sweetgrass baskets. For many of them, basket weaving is a family tradition, a craft shared from generation to generation, and seen as being a gift from God; thecharlestoncitymarket.com

Croghan’s Jewel Box

Anchored on King Street for more than a century, this family-owned jewelry store is a special place to find a memorable souvenir. Peruse elegant objects for the home, like their crystal Charleston Camellia Bowl, as well as their heirloom-worthy collection of new and estate jewelry and silver, from sterling baby rattles to the Goldbug Collection, their in-house line of costume jewelry that celebrates Lowcountry icons, like palm fronds and boiled peanuts; croghansjewelbox.com

Fritz Porter

Housed in a reimagined former cigar factory, this design-minded collective celebrating all things home is a must for the interiors-obsessed set. Linger over beautifully decorated vendor vignettes and find oodles of inspiration for your own house; fritzporter.com

George C. Birlant and Co.

The family-owned antiques showroom on King and Clifford Streets celebrated 100 years in 2022 and is known for its collection of fine 18th and 19th English antiques, as well as reproductions. Beyond carrying antique furnishings, silver, and crystal, they’re also the exclusive maker of the iron Charleston Battery Bench, cast in the original mold first used towards the end of the 19th century and painted in Charleston Green, a shade so deep that it almost reads black; birlantantiquescharleston.com

HART

Rethink the traditional charm bracelet with local jewelry designer Hart Hagerty’s modern take on the family heirloom. Design your own one-of-a-kind charm necklace in the brand’s Upper King Street studio, where they also carry a fun assortment of ready-made baubles, like their signature silk tassel topknot earrings and matching beaded bracelet sets for parents and children; shophart.com

Ibu Movement

In a second story shop on King Street, Susan Hull Walker’s social enterprise is informed by her extensive international travels and the deep relationships she and her team have formed with women artisans in communities around the globe. In her otherworldly boutique, you’ll find an elevated collection of handmade goods, from cocktail napkins woven in Chiapas, Mexico, to gold-plated brass jewelry crafted in Colombia; ibumovement.com

LAKE

For sleepwear devotees who have only ever shopped online for the South’s favorite pajamas, a stop into their bright, airy King Street outpost is a must. Don’t miss the adorable selection of children’s toys and gifts upstairs; lakepajamas.com

Madison-Mathews

At this King Street boutique, shop local designer Caroline Chakeris’ cheery line of embroidered and block-printed apparel, made from breezy cottons and linens suited for looking stylish and pulled together even during the steamiest Carolina heatwave; madison-mathews.com

Out of Hand

You’ll find this eclectic shop on the charming main street of Mount Pleasant’s historic Old Village neighborhood. Stop in to browse a unique mix of clothing, natural and clean beauty brands, fresh flower bouquets, and specialty items for the home; shopoutofhand.com

The Tiny Tassel

Mimi Striplin’s Spring Street shop spills over with joyful color, from her breezy dresses to the tassel jewelry that started it all. Bring home her collection’s happy style with a subscription to The Tiny Tassel Earring Club, which sends you two pairs of earrings, including new releases, every month for a year; thetinytassel.com

WORTHWHILE

Tucked in a new location in an historic building on the corner of Magazine and Logan Streets downtown, the beloved lifestyle store turned 30 in 2023, and it’s easy to see why it’s had such staying power: Worthwhile has a thoughtful mix of pieces for home and closet curated from a host of independent, responsible makers from around the globe; shopworthwhile.com

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