One of the most beautiful cities in the United States is also a great place to visit if you want to go shopping. Charlotte is not only home to incredible museums, attractions, excellent restaurants and Lake Norman, but it also has several world-class shopping centers. Here you can find out which are the best malls in Charlotte (like SouthPark and (Birkdale Village), the main stores of each one, where to eat as well as where to find good deals (including the best outlets in North Carolina).
Best Malls in Charlotte
SouthPark
As you will see in this article, there are plenty of malls in Charlotte. But we will start with one that is not only the largest in the city (and one of the largest on the East Coast) but also one of the oldest in the city. SouthPark Mall is a favorite with shoppers in this city for many reasons. First of all, it is the ideal place to visit if you want to buy clothes or accessories from the best luxury fashion brands in the world. These include Saint Laurent, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Burberry, and the Tiffany & Co. jewelry store. There are even more brands at upscale Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus department stores.
Do not think that there are only expensive stores, quite the opposite. It is one of the shopping malls with the highest sales in the US since there are options for all styles and budgets as you can also visit the Urban Outfiters, Psycho Bunny, Madewell, GAP, Lacoste and J.Crew stores in SouthPark. Don’t forget to visit Paul Simon (which has both women’s and men’s stores) and find out why it remains one of the most popular stores in Charlotte. And just as there are shopping options for everyone, there are also plenty of dining options ranging from Five Guys and Panera Bread to Bulla Gastrobar and McCormick & Schmick’s.
- Other Stores: Abercrombie & Fitch, American Girl, Arhaus, Coach, Fabletics, Hugo Boss, Indochino, Levi´s, Michael Kors
Birkdale Village
Birkdale Village is much more than just a shopping center. It does have several shops and restaurants, but also nice common areas, lots of plants and trees, plus you can even live and work here. You can also enjoy the different events for children and adults that are organized in this place throughout the year. As this is a shopping website, we have to talk about their stores. The brands that are here are quite well known such as Lululemon, J.Jill, Banana Republic, Apricot Lane and Francesca’s.
There are more stores of different things whether you want books in Barnes & Noble, makeup at Sephora or kitchen appliances in Williams Sonoma. That’s not all, as there are also beauty salons, saunas and various design firms. A place with good shops should also have good restaurants and Birkdale Village does this perfectly as there are some great eateries. There are options for anything you want whether it be seafood, pizza, steak, burgers or BBQ. You can do many things to do in the area, since there is also another mall nearby (NorthCross Shopping Center), but above all you must visit the great Lake Norman.
- Other Stores: American Eagle, Dick´s Sporting Goods, Girl Supply, Jos. A. Bank, Kendra Scott, Talbots
NorthLake Mall
Despite not having been open very long (it has been operating since 2005), NorthLake Mall has established itself as one of the malls in Charlotte that receives the most visitors. It is also one of the best malls in the north of the city, very close to the Latta Nature Preserve. This mall offers the latest fashions from major brands including H&M, Michael Kors, White House Black Market, Guess and Chico’s. If you prefer to visit department stores, there is no problem since there are three in this mall: Belk, Macy’s and Dillard’s.
As for its dining options, there are very good places as it includes 3 famous casual restaurants such as Freebirds, P.F. Chang’s and T.G.I. Friday’s (there is also a food court that includes Chick-fil-A, Sbarro among others). Finally, you can also see the latest film releases in the AMC Movie Theater located in this mall.
- Other Stores: Aeropostale, Apple Store, Buckle, Foot Locker, Hot Topic, Shoe Dept. Encore, Spencers
Phillips Place
If you want to shop in a place with elegant design, good stores and a great atmosphere, you must go to Phillips Place. It has an excellent location as it is a short distance away from SouthPark so you can visit both malls on the same day. It is one of the malls in Charlotte with fewer stores, but they are excellent brands. For many, their not-to-be missed store is Restoration Hardware, which has earned a place as one of the best furniture stores in America. This store in particular is magnificent since, in addition to being able to see the different sofas, chairs or tables of this brand, you can go to eat at its restaurant on the rooftop.
That’s not all you’ll find at Phillips Place as there are also well-known fashion brands. Peter Millar, Brooks Brothers, J. McLaughlin, Eileen Fisher or NIC+ZOE are just some of the stores you can visit here. And if you’re looking for a new pair of shoes there are 2 great brands: Marmi for women’s shoes and Allen Edmonds for men. We also highlight Ladies of Lineage (a bridal boutique) and Taylor Richards & Conger with a fine selection of menswear.
Carolina Pavilion
Carolina Pavilion is one of the best strip malls in Charlotte as they have several big box stores that you will like. There are just over a dozen stores, but the good news is that the vast majority are stores that offer great deals and discounts. If you want clothes and accessories you should go to Nordstrom Rack, Ross and Burlington. These stores are similar to each other, but they are all worth visiting as they always have great deals on clothes for the whole family. And if you didn’t find what you were looking for, you can also visit Old Navy.
Another of the discount stores in Carolina Pavilion is Big Lots, which in addition to clothing they also sell furniture, home decor or toys, among many other products. If you are going to have a baby or are looking for a gift for someone who will have one, buybuyBaby is an excellent choice. They sell everything for babies from diapers and clothes to toys and strollers. Also in the mall is the famous Carter’s baby and toddler clothing store. And as we said before, there is a bit of everything in this mall since you can also buy discounted shoes at DSW, household products at Bed Bath & Beyond, as well as stores selling appliances, electronics, furniture, pet products and more.
- Other Stores: Conn´s, Dollar Tree, Floor & Decor, Joann, Pet Smart, Target, Value City Furniture
Atherton Mill
It may not be the largest but Atherton Mill is one of the nicest open-air malls in Charlotte. It is a mixed-use development since it includes apartments in addition to the commercial area which has very good shops and restaurants. Also there are plenty of events throughout the year such as classes, festivals or farmers’ markets. As for its retailers, there are several interesting fashion brands such as Anthropologie, Madewell and Lululemon. Other stores that you cannot miss are Uniquities and Boem Boutique, which are undoubtedly one of the best locally owned clothing stores in the city due to their very good selection of brands.
You can also visit Sephora or the furniture and home decor store, West Elm. Some of the best things about this mall are its various restaurants, among which we recommend Indaco if you want good pasta or pizza, or Living Kitchen for a nice meal where you will eat dishes made with only organic ingredients.
- Other Stores: Bonobos, Free People, Las Olas, Tecovas, The Golden Carrot, Warby Parker
Best Outlets in Charlotte
Concord Mills
Concord Mills brings together entertainment venues, several restaurants and more than 100 stores that offer great discounts in one place. You will have to drive a bit, but the trip is well worth it, since it is one of the best outlets in the US. It is the largest outlet in Charlotte and has the best fashion brands. You will want to stay all day in this place visiting all its stores since there are brands such as J.Crew, Coach, Lucky Brand, Michael Kors and Polo Ralph Lauren. There are also other important stores like Vineyard Vines, Under Armour and the discount store: Burlington.
In addition to clothing brands, there are stores of other types of products such as Bass Pro Shop (where you can fin everything for camping and other outdoor activities), Five Below, Best Buy and the Lego Store. As we said before, Concord Mills is one of the malls in Charlotte with the most places to have fun. And there are many sites that children and adults will love. You can meet dozens of species of fish and marine animals at SeaLife, watch a movie, drive a go-kart or ride a train or carousel. There are also several restaurants such as Bonefish Grill and Outback, as well as a food court.
- Address: 8111 Concord Mills Boulevard, Concord, NC
- Other Stores: Adidas, Brooks Brothers, Dick´s Sporting Goods, Forever 21, Kate Spade, New Balance, Tommy Hilfiger
- Hours: Monday to Saturday 11AM to 8PM, Friday & Saturday 10AM to 9PM, Sunday 12PM to 6PM
Charlotte Premium Outlets
Near the airport is the other outlet in Charlotte. Its name is Charlotte Premium Outlets, and although its owners are the same as Concord Mills, there are several different things between the two outlets. Most of the stores can also be found in the other outlet, but there are others that you will only find here such as Hugo Boss, Ann Taylor, Marc Jacobs or the Ecco shoe brand. But one of the most visited stores and that you will not be able to find in Concord Mills is Saks Off Fitfth. It is the Saks Fifth Avenue outlet store and here you can get good deals on clothes and accessories, including luxury brands.
Charlotte Premium Outlets will be one of the places you have to visit if you want to buy sportswear as they have several of the best brands in the world such as Nike, Adidas, Reebok or Puma. There are many more famous stores like White House Black Market, GAP, Columbia, Guess and Old Navy among many others. One of the bad things about this outlet is that if you get hungry there are only 3 fast food restaurants, in addition to Starbucks.
- Address: 5404 New Fashion Way, Charlotte, NC
- Other Stores: American Eagle, Banana Republic, Chico´s, Converse, Eddie Bauer, Lucky Brand, Talbots
- Hours: Monday to Saturday 11AM to 8PM, Friday & Saturday 10AM to 9PM, Sunday 12PM to 6PM
Other Places to Go Shopping in Charlotte
Carolina Place Mall: In Pinesville (in the south area of Charlotte) there are several malls, but the largest and most important is Carolina Place Mall. It is a very good place to go shopping as there are more than 100 stores that include clothing brands (American Eagle, Rue21, H&M, Victoria’s Secret, Hollister, among many others), sporting goods stores (REI or Dick’s Sporting Goods), three department stores, very good restaurants (including the Italian restaurant Buca di Beppo). But as we said, it is not the only good thing in the area since there are other small malls very close with a wide variety of stores.
Rivergate: This is not like the other malls in Charlotte. Rivergate is more of an outdoor shopping complex, where you’ll find several big box stores, supermarkets, eateries and small shops. The good thing about this place is that there are quite a few good stores, the bad thing is that you will have to walk a bit between the parking lot to get to all the stores in this mall and the others that are within walking distance (or you can also drive) .
Its several discount stores stand out, such as Marshalls, T.J.Maxx or Rack Room Shoes, as well as the Kohl’s department store and Old Navy. There are quite a variety of stores as there are from Five Below, Best Buy and Tuesday Morning to Home Depot and Target.
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