Palm Springs is a Californian desert city with a vibrant shopping scene and a range of retail choices from bargain outlet malls to boho vintage boutiques to upscale designer stores. Cruise along downtown’s Palm Canyon Drive for unique, locally made clothing, souvenirs and home décor items, with plenty of places to stop for a meal or coffee along the way.
Visit the ritzier boutiques of El Paseo shopping district or venture beyond the fringes of the city for top brand names at great prices at Desert Hills Premium Outlets. For those in search of more unique and edgy things to buy, Palm Springs also has many art galleries, antique shops, thrift stores and markets to explore. Here are the best places to go shopping in Palm Springs.
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El Paseo Shopping District
The Rodeo Drive of Palm Springs
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El Paseo is a strip of upscale shops that’s as much of a place to see and be seen as it is a place for shopping. Since El Paseo was built in the Coachella Valley more than 60 years ago, it’s attracted numerous celebrities and discerning shoppers who can enjoy the warm desert air while exploring the scenic palm-lined avenue’s luxury retailers and fine-dining spots.
Among the 200-plus shops here, you’ll find well-known brand names like Ralph Lauren and Escada alongside boutiques selling local clothing designs, swimwear, jewellery, art and colourful yoga and fitness wear. El Paseo is about 20 km from downtown Palm Springs, and there’s plenty of parking available behind the shops.
Location: Palm Desert, CA 92260, USA
Mapphoto by Visitor7 (CC BY-SA 3.0) modified
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Palm Canyon Drive
Palm-fringed, shop-lined thoroughfare in Palm Springs
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Palm Canyon Drive in downtown Palm Springs offers shoppers a great variety of shops and dining spots to explore along its palm-fringed length. You’ll find a mix of designer clothing stores, resort wear, antiques, and gift shops selling curios.
Destination PSP is a gift and clothing shop selling local brands and retro collectables with the mid-century aesthetic that Palm Springs is famous for. Check out some of the art galleries along the drive like the Instagram-favourite SHAG art gallery and Jackson Gallery, featuring the contemporary paintings by local artist Al Jackson. Stop by the Revivals thrift shop to find bargain-priced fashions and vintage items to spruce up your home.
Mapphoto by Visitor7 (CC BY-SA 3.0) modified
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Desert Hills Premium Outlets
Brand name fashions at bargain prices
- Shoppers
Desert Hills Premium Outlets is a collection of shops about an hour’s drive from downtown Palm Springs. Among the dozens of outlets, you’ll find luxury goods from the likes of Tom Ford, Valentino Gucci, and Dolce & Gabbana at deeply discounted prices. As far as shopping centres go, this one is more attractive than many with its wide walkways lined with palm trees connecting all the stores.
Shoppers could go relax and dine at the food court and cafés if in need of a break from their bargain hunting. Found along the Interstate 10 highway, the outlet mall makes a good place to stop if you’re taking a drive to San Diego or Los Angeles.
Location: 48400 Seminole Drive, Cabazon, CA 92230, USA
Open: Monday–Thursday from 11 am to 7 pm, Friday–Sunday from 11 am to 8 pm
Phone: +1 951 849-6641
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Antique Galleries of Palm Springs
Big collective of antique shops and vintage vendors
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You could spend hours wandering around the Antique Galleries of Palm Springs with more than 40 vendors to visit in nearly 12,000 sq ft of air-conditioned space. Among the thousands of items on sale here are vintage clothing, glassware, jewellery, military and maritime collectables, furniture, and fine art.
Antique Galleries is just a few minutes’ drive south from downtown Palm Springs and there’s plenty of free parking at the store. If you’re in search of more retro goods, check out the Sunny Dunes Antique Mall, just a 2-minute walk away.
Location: 505 E Industrial Place, Palm Springs, CA 92264, USA
Open: Daily from 10 am to 5 pm
Phone: +1 760 322-8740
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Uptown Design District
Shop by day, dine in style by night
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Uptown Design District along North Palm Canyon Drive is where you’ll find local boutique shops and items for the home with the mid-century modern flair Palm Springs is known for. There are some unique clothing stores here too, including The Frippery and Iconic Atomic, which both specialise in vintage fashions. You could also hunt for wellness and spa products at such shops as H20 Closet with a sensory-awakening selection of lotions, fragrances, soaps and scrubs to buy.
Uptown Design District has also become a hot spot for dining and sophisticated nightlife, so if you come to shop here it’s worth lingering on to explore its after-dark action.
Location: N Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, CA, USA
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The Street Fair at College of the Desert
Lively weekend art and food market
- Food
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Every weekend, the College of the Desert transforms into a street fair when hundreds of vendors set up a colourful variety of shops in the covered car parking area. You’ll have the chance to meet local artists and perhaps buy some of their paintings and sculptures, then browse the farmer’s market area for fruits and vegetables.
Most of the vendors at the COD street fair specialise in clothing, jewellery and accessories, and there are several more with gifts and home décor items to buy. There’s also live entertainment and food vendors selling a range of tastes from baked goods to gourmet burgers. Many who come here love to stock up on the delicious locally grown dates.
Location: 43-500 Monterey Avenue, Palm Desert, CA 92260, USA
Open: Saturday and Sunday from 7 am to 2 pm
Phone: +1 760 636-7957
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Backstreet Art District
Local studios and galleries to explore in Palm Springs
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Backstreet Art District brings together the creative people of Palm Springs, who display their works in the many studios and galleries to explore here. As you wander around, you might even see some of the latest local creations in progress at some of the artists’ studios open to the public.
Check local listings for any exhibits or shows that might be on during your visit, and be sure to join one of the regular art walks for an informative tour of the desert art scene. Art walks usually take place on the first Wednesday of the month from 5 pm to 8 pm. There’s a wide range of art forms to see and buy here, including photography, ceramics, mixed media and lithography in addition to paintings and sculptures.
Location: 2600 Cherokee Way, Palm Springs, CA 92264, USA
Phone: +1 760 328-4144
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Palm Springs Vintage Market
Monthly retro market that the locals love
- Budget
- Shoppers
The Palm Springs Vintage Market is a monthly event held on the 1st Sunday of the month from October through May. Set up at the Camelot Theater, the open-air market is an especially good source for authentic mid-century modern designs for the home.
Most items have been carefully curated and are sold by reputable dealers, so if you’re looking for bargain-basement flea market prices, this is not the place. The market is open from 8 am to 2 pm and there’s a $5 entry fee for all visitors.
Location: 2300 E Baristo Rd, Palm Springs, CA 92262, USA
Open: October–May: 1st Sunday of the month
Phone: +1 760 534-7968
Mapphoto by Visitor7 (CC BY-SA 3.0) modified
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Westfield Palm Desert Mall
Bustling indoor shopping in the Coachella Valley
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The Westfield Palm Desert mall is one of the few indoor shopping centres in the area, giving visitors the chance to browse, dine and catch a film in air-conditioned comfort. You’ll find big retailers like JC Penney, Macy’s and Barnes & Noble here as well as about 150 shops, a food court and many restaurants.
The mall is designed as a kid-friendly place with a play area featuring climbing sculptures and giant puzzles, as well as a family lounge with TVs, toys, private nursing areas and baby-changing stations. It’s found about a 20-minute drive from downtown Palm Springs.
Location: 72-840 Highway 111, Palm Desert, CA 92260, USA
Open: Daily from 11 am to 7 pm
Phone: +1 760 346-2121
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The Shops at Thirteen Forty Five
Designer shops in a stunning modernist building
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Before you step inside the Shops at Thirteen Forty Five, it’s worth taking a good look (and maybe a selfie or two) at the 1950s-era building, which is a striking example of modernist design by the talented local architect E. Steward Williams.
Inside, there are plenty more eye-catching things to see in the dozen or so boutique shops, from the pastel-toned handmade pottery at Double M to the colourful lamps and vintage chairs at the Towne Palm Springs. Stop by Mojave Flea Trading Post to find a groovy T-shirt or handwoven handbag, all sourced from makers and merchants from around the region.
Location: 1345 N Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, CA 92262, USA
Open: Thursday–Monday from 11 am to 5 pm
Phone: +1 760 464-0480
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