Denver’s Shopping Hotspots

From unique vintage stores to outdoor and Western-themed apparel shops, explore the best Denver has to offer for every type of shopper, including several options that are accessible via RTD-Denver’s light rail.

For thrift store hunters 

Denver’s Baker neighborhood along south Broadway has been the go-to spot for Rocky Mountain vintage finds for decades. Thrifty shoppers have a range of options, from one of the best stocked Goodwill stores in the area to vintage boutiques like Decade Gifts, Boss Vintage, and La Lovely Vintage, which features vintage clothes from the 1940s to the 1990s and an impressive array of vintage denim jeans and overalls. 

Right by the DU campus, Show Pony Vintage has threads with a modern spin for your next night out on the town, and South Pearl Street’s historic shopping area’s Common Threads is best enjoyed following the Farmers Market every Sunday from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in the summer and fall months. 

For outdoorsy types 

Hop on the light rail and head north to REI Denver Flagship, located in the historic Denver Tramway Power Company Plant red brick building at the confluence of the Cherry Creek and South Platte Rivers. Across the street is Wilderness Exchange, an outdoor gear and clothing consignment shop that also has rentals for various outdoor adventures. For outdoor gear or clothing repair, Feral, northwest of downtown Denver, will get you back outside in a jiffy. 

For mall rats 

Cherry Creek Shopping Center along University Blvd. has everything you could possibly need in one convenient spot. Department stores like Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus anchor 160 other stores like Allbirds, Vuori and Warby Parker. Bring comfy walking shoes to cover its 1.1million square feet of retail space. 

For high-end fashion lovers 

Walking distance from Cherry Creek Shopping Center is Cherry Creek North, a high-end outdoor shopping area featuring runway-approved clothing and jewelry stores and high-end art galleries and furniture galleries. The place to “be seen,” Cherry Creek North also has a range of award-winning restaurants and local favorites like the Cherry Cricket to fuel your buying spree. 

Larimer Square in downtown Denver also has a handful of high-end clothing and vintage stores like Coco + Grace, Moda Man and Garage Sale Vintage. 

For cowboys and cowgirls  

Don’t let Denver’s skyscrapers fool you—it’s a dusty Western town at heart and has the shops to prove it. Founded in 1946, the famed Rockmount Ranch Wear near Denver’s Union Station has been known to dress the likes of John Lennon, Matthew McConaughey, Grace Potter and DU alumna and Olympic medalist Michelle Kwan. For boots, visit Ghost Rider Custom Cowboy Boots, where Mickey Musset’s one-of-a-kind hand-crafted leather will turn plenty of heads at Denver’s premiere spot for line dancing, the Grizzly Rose. Larger retailers like Boot Barn and High Country Western Ware will also help usher you into your cowboy era.  

For bargain seekers

Why buy full price when you can go to one of Colorado’s many outlet malls? Just west of Denver in Golden is Colorado Mills, with discount outlets for pricey brands like Coach, The North Face and Nike. Further south along I-25 is the Outlets at Castle Rock featuring an impressive 120+ stores that you can browse in Colorado’s sunshine. Of note are the high number of outdoor brands at Castle Rock like Arc’teryz, Ariat, Cotopaxi and Fjall Raven. 

For souvenir buyers 

Coloradoans love to show pride in the state with “C”-adorned socks, mugs, hats and hoodies, and independent stores celebrating all things Colorado have cropped up in response. Founded in 2013, YoColorado has all the apparel you could want online or visit their brick-and-mortar store in historic downtown Golden, where they feature special collabs with Colorado mainstays like Coors or The Open Hearts Movement. The I Heart Denver Store on 16th Street Mall downtown also has lots of Colorado goodies designed hundreds of local artists.