10 Best Places to Go Shopping in Asheville

Grove Arcade occupies a 1920s Gothic Revival building that covers an entire city block in Downtown Asheville. It has around 20 local businesses, ranging from fashion boutiques and jewellery stores to art galleries and craft shops. The southern end of Grove Arcade houses the Makers Market, where you can find dozens of stalls selling handmade clothes, jewellery, paintings, musical instruments, and farm products.

Restaurant Row at Grove Arcade consists of open-air eateries, wine bars, and grab-and-go items. The shopping mall is around 0.2 miles south of the Basilica of Saint Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr.

Asheville Mall is a fixture of the city’s shopping scene, housing over 100 stores and dozens of fast food options. The shopping mall’s anchor stores are Sears, Belk, Dillard's, and JCPenney – all of which offer affordable clothes for the whole family, as well as accessories, cosmetics, and home décor.

Familiar brands such as H&M, Banana Republic, Abercrombie & Fitch, Bauer, Yankee Candle Co, and Victoria's Secret are available at Asheville Mall. There’s also a Barnes & Noble bookstore and the Fox-N-Otter escape room if you want to take a break from shopping. Dining-wise, Starbucks, Chic-fil-A, and Auntie Anne’s are popular options.

Lexington Avenue offers an eclectic shopping experience in Asheville, with over 200 locally-owned shops, bars and restaurants. This urban thoroughfare is very walkable thanks to trees along its wide brick sidewalks.

Shopping options include retro fashion boutiques, vinyl record shops, bookstores and plenty of antique sellers. Lexington Avenue also hosts its very own annual arts festival and the Downtown After 5 concert series, resulting in a carnival-like atmosphere in summer. Speakeasies serving craft cocktails and independent restaurants can be found in between shops, too.

Biltmore Village is somewhat of an open-air shopping complex in Asheville, about 3.3 miles north of the iconic Biltmore Mansion. The area has over 40 shops, with familiar brands such as Lululemon and Brooks Brothers. Unique clothing, speciality items, home goods, and artworks are just some of the things available in this tree-lined shopping area.

Most shops occupy historic cottages dating back to the 1890s, making you feel as if you’re in an old village rather than an urban district. Biltmore Village is great for a bit of shopping and dining, especially if you’re planning to visit George W. Vanderbilt’s iconic French Renaissance mansion.

The Asheville City Market takes place on Saturday mornings in Downtown Asheville. This farmers' market supports local growers by providing them with a large outdoor space to sell their goods, which include fresh fruits, vegetables and farm-raised meet.

There are also many vendors selling homemade pastries, honey, cheese and jams – great gifts for your foodie friends and family. The Asheville City Market also hosts live music and kid-friendly workshops, if the weather permits. You can find another Asheville City Market in Biltmore Park Town Square, which takes place on Wednesdays from noon to 4 pm (April–October). 

West Asheville is an edgy neighbourhood across the French Broad River. Its 2-mile-long main street – Haywood Road – is lined with local businesses occupying renovated old buildings, resulting in a small-town ambience. It’s a great place to visit if you’re in the market for second-hand and unconventional items.

You can expect dozens of consignment shops, vintage boutiques, and record shops. West Asheville also has plenty of restaurants serving American fare, pubs with live music, and quaint bakeries. The WNC Farmers Market is a covered bazaar offering local produce, handicrafts and plants every day.

The River Arts District is a mile-long stretch along the French Broad River that houses art studios and galleries in several old buildings. It’s not too far from downtown Asheville and is a great place to support artists across different mediums.

The galleries and artist workshops occupy 23 former industrial and historical buildings. You can find a variety of art, from paintings to ceramics to handmade jewellery. There are no set open times for each of the galleries, but you'll find plenty of open studios with resident artists any time of the year. Some galleries even offer classes and events for those interested in getting involved.

Asheville Outlets is an open-air mall where you can shop for designer brands at discounted prices. It has more than 65 stores selling clothes, accessories, sportswear, home décor and kitchenware, as well as a decent selection of dining outlets.

Familiar names include Nike, J. Crew, Banana Republic, Asics, Levi's and Old Navy, many of which offer discounts of up to 70%. Dining at Asheville Outlets is relatively limited – you’ll find Auntie Anne’s, Lindt, Starbucks, and Acropolis Pizza Café. The outlet mall is on Brevard Road, around 8.2 miles southwest of downtown Asheville.

Swannanoa River Road is one of the best districts to find antiques in Asheville. The road follows the river near the Historic Biltmore Village and has around 10 stores and small malls dedicated to selling antiques and vintage items.

You can spend hours browsing through all the treasures at any of the stores. Antique Tobacco Barn is one of the most popular places on the strip with 75 separate dealers in a 77,000-sq-ft old barn. Further along, Bryant Antiques also has 70 dealers in a maze of rooms with a range of antiques and vintage items.

Woolworth Walk supports around 170 local artists specialising in a wide range of mediums. The 20,000-sq-ft complex attracts art lovers looking to find quality jewellery, photographs, pottery and decorative arts in Asheville.

If you’re feeling hungry, enjoy a wide range of ice cream sodas, coffee and sandwiches at a renovated 1930s luncheonette called Old Fashioned Soda Fountain. Woolworth Walk is on Haywood Street, about a 5-minute walk of notable landmarks such as the Basilica of Saint Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr, Grove Arcade, and the Thomas Wolfe Memorial.