If you travel (and live) to shop, you’ll be right at home in Texas. Between outlet and traditional malls, the largest mercado in the nation and unique mom and pop shops throughout the state, you can find something for just about any taste, style or budget around here.

In outlet malls across the state, discover an eclectic mix of fashionable, name-brand clothing, high-dollar home wares and sparkling accessories at a fraction of their original cost. Each outlet offers a vast array of factory stores – some of which you can’t find in a traditional mall. Many are owned either by outlet giants like Premium or Tanger. Others, like The Outlet Shoppes at El Paso, are locally owned. And some offer way more than just shopping, such as Grapevine Mills with its Sea Life Grapevine Aquarium and Legoland® Discovery Center. They all tend toward outdoor storefronts and are marked by unmissable towers featuring store logos. 

There also are many traditional malls to choose from throughout the state. For excellent shopping with some built-in fun, visit the Galleria in Houston, where you can ice skate in between trips to your favorite stores. Then there’s The Domain in Austin, a glam outdoor shopping center where you can find anything from high-quality diamond rings to fast fashion that will keep you looking fresh. If you need to do some shopping in San Antonio, North Star Mall has you covered with a perfect mix of clothing, accessories, electronics and shoes – including the iconic (and enormous) boots statue out front. For high-fashion and luxury shopping in Dallas, make a pit stop at NorthPark Center Mall – which includes a serene and beautifully landscaped garden to rest and relax in between shopping sprees. 

If you want to experience the more unique side of Texas shopping, visit San Antonio’s Market Square. This little piece of Mexican culture features technicolor papel picados running back and forth across the sky, traditional wares pouring out of shop fronts, mariachi strolling through the street and handmade delicacies providing authentic tastes and smells. With 32 shops at El Mercado and 80 specialty shops in the Farmers Market Plaza, this is the largest Mexican market in the states.

If you’re road-tripping through the state, you’ll enjoy scavenging through the variety of gift items and sundries at some of our old-time general stores. Make a pit stop in Luckenbach, Jefferson or Camp Verde to soak up the character and charm of general stores more than 100 years old. Then in Jonesville, you’ll find T. C. Lindsey & Co., built around the same time. This general store gem is also part museum and part movie star, having appeared in movie and television productions. In San Angelo, you’ll find homemade goods, a heavy dose of nostalgia and plenty of shopping at Eggemeyer’s, which is housed in a vintage car dealership.

Our state is home to an eclectic mix of shopping experiences. No matter where your trip takes you, give yourself some extra time to search for great bargains, high-fashion finds, old-fashioned sundries and everything in between.