Travel South Carolina The Best Places To Shop In Charleston Carve out a little time to find a memorable Holy City souvenir. By Betsy Cribb Betsy Cribb Betsy is the Home and Features Editor at Southern Living. She writes about a veritable potpourri of topics for print and digital, from profiling Southern movers-and-shakers and celebrating family traditions to highlighting newsy restaurant openings and curating the annual holiday gift guide. Prior to joining the Southern Living team in 2017 as the style editor, she worked at Coastal Living as an assistant editor covering pets and homes. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on March 8, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Peter Frank Edwards 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. 01 of 15 Abide A While Courtesy Abide A While Garden Boutique 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 02 of 15 Blue Bicycle Books Peter Frank Edwards 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 03 of 15 Candlefish Candlefish / Jamestown 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 04 of 15 Charleston Artist Collective Charlotte Elizabeth/Courtesy of Charleston Artists 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 05 of 15 Charleston City Market Peter Frank Edwards 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 06 of 15 Croghan’s Jewel Box Rick Rhodes Photography 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 07 of 15 Fritz Porter Fritz Porter Design Collective 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 08 of 15 George C. Birlant and Co. George C. Birlant & Co. (Antiques) 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 09 of 15 HART Laura Saur/LCS Studio 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 10 of 15 Ibu Movement 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 11 of 15 LAKE 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 12 of 15 Madison-Mathews 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 13 of 15 Out of Hand 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 14 of 15 The Tiny Tassel Aneris Photography 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 15 of 15 WORTHWHILE WORTHWHILE Tucked in a new location in an historic building on the corner of Magazine and Logan Streets downtown, the beloved lifestyle store turns 30 this year, 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 Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit