Philadelphia Shopping and Districts

(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - PA, USA)



Philadelphia has plenty of popular US chain stores, while also boasting historic shopping districts, markets, grand department stores and upmarket boutiques. Philadelphia's Liberty Place and Rittenhouse Square are good for specialty shops and high fashion shopping, while the Old City is known for its antiques. South Street in Philadelphia is a student favorite, with its bohemian clothing and up-to-date niceties attracting a younger crowd.

Opening Hours

Most of Philadelphia's stores operate during regular office hours from 10:00 to 18:00, Monday to Saturday, with late night shopping on a Wednesday, while larger shopping malls typically stay open until 21:00 on weekdays and Saturdays. An increasing number of stores in Philadelphia are also opening their doors on Sundays.


Shopping Centers

Most shopping centers and malls in Philadelphia are situated on the outskirts of the city at busy interstate junctions, while Center City has a fine collection of malls and markets with everything you could wish to find. Here is a list of some of the most popular places to shop in Philadelphia:

Bourse - 21 South 5th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania PA, USA
Tel: +1 215 625 0300
In an ideal location near the Liberty Bell, Bourse is housed in an attractive 19th-century building and contains the likes of Best of Philadelphia, with its massive collection of souvenirs ranging from flags and liberty bells to Benjamin Franklin key chains and T-shirts. Also in this elegant, six-story shopping complex is a festive international food court.

Franklin Mills Shopping Mall - I-95 at Exit 24, Route 63, Woodhaven Road, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania PA, USA
Tel: +1 215 632 1500
Located on the outskirts of Philadelphia to the northeast of Center City is the huge Franklin Mills Shopping Mall, which contains 200 stores including well-known shops such as Nordstrom Rack, Last Call Neiman Marcus and Ann Taylor Loft. The food court is also a gem and there are 14 movie theaters here.

Gallery at Market East - Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania PA, USA
Tel: +1 215 925 7162
America's first enclosed downtown shopping mall is a four-story, mid-range complex with a fetching glass-roof and more than 150 retailers. You will also find 40 food outlets at Philadelphia's Gallery at Market East and the department store, Strawbridge's, offers higher quality items.

Gargoyles - 512 South 3rd Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania PA, USA
Tel: +1 215 629 1700
A commendable antiques store with a wide variety of items, Gargoyles offers mostly American goods that were salvaged from old businesses and buildings. Some of the more colorful antiques here include a collection of English pub signs.

Market Place East - Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania PA, USA
Tel: +1 215 592 8905
Market Place East is situated in a fully renovated historic building near the Gallery in Philadelphia's Center City and features five floors of shopping, with quality stores and numerous restaurants.

Reading Terminal Market - 12th and Arch Streets, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania PA, USA
Tel: +1 215 922 2317
Originally a food bazaar in a train shed cellar in the late 19th century, Philadelphia's Reading Terminal Market is now a bustling collection of vendors offering everything from delicious culinary delights and breads to crafts, flowers, jewelry and clothes shopping. The Amish merchants are well-known for their excellent fresh produce straight out of the fields and Fisher's soft pretzels must be sampled.

Rittenhouse Row - Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania PA, USA
A popular shopping area in Philadelphia's Center City where Rittenhouse Square and Broad Street offer a huge collection of upmarket stores and boutiques, with specialty shops such as a homemade chocolate shop and a vendor trading in Peruvian shawls.