I love shopping on vacation, regardless of where I visit. Whether it’s a small boutique or a full shopping district, I always seem to visit the shops on my trips. I always enjoy the Portland Maine shopping when we travel there on our annual winter trip, although more things are open in the summer months.
Portland Maine has several districts – the most popular of which is the Old Port district located alson Casco Bay. The cobblestone streets of Old Port are filled with stores and restaurants, so you’ll have no shortage of places to shop during your trip. Here are some of my favorite places to shop in Portland Maine.
Note that there are a number of wonderful unique boutiques to shop that aren’t included in this list. That’s because I’ve either not been to them, or they aren’t something I’m looking to shop for. This is definitely not an exhaustive list of Portland Maine shopping venues – just my personal favorites.
Portland Maine Shopping
The Black Dog General Store
Although this shop has its origins in Martha’s Vineyard, MA, there is a location on Fore Street in Portland. Here, you’ll find casual clothing and activewear for men, women, and children. In addition, as you’d expect from the name, the Black Dog has a line of dog items. Clothes are classic and preppy – a good representation of New England.
The Salt Cellar
Foodies will also enjoy a stop at the Salt Cellar, which has three locations in Maine, NH, and Massachusetts. Here, you’ll find a selection of seasoned salt, including truffle, ghost-pepper, and espresso-infused.
The store also offers bath and body products made from salt, as well as cooking items. There’s also a salt room (called the Salt Vault) in the back that can be reserved. It’s Portland Maine’s only salt vault.
Renys
We’d been to Portland Maine several times before we stopped at Renys. This Maine department store has seventeen discount stores across the state, but I was unfamiliar with them before stopping in.
Renys offers a huge variety of merchandise including clothes, housewares, shoes, and toys. We were most surprised by the prices. Many of the items are close-outs and off-price, so you can really get a great deal.
For tourists, I’d most recommend looking at the clothes. We found some good bargains on name-brand merchandise at the start of the season.
Renys in Portland is located on Congress Street, near the Arts District and Memorial Square. It’s within walking distance from many of the popular places to stay in Portland Maine.
The Blue Lobster
Looking for fun Portland souvenirs? The Blue Lobster, located right on Commercial Street, is a great spot. They offer sweatshirts, t-shirts, and other Portland souvenirs at a good price.
The gift shop is also the home of Scenic Maine Tours, which offers local tours as well as tickets to the Freeport shuttle for a day trip.
Cool as a Moose
Another fun gift shop is Cool as a Moose, which is located on Fore Street. It’s another Maine gift shop, with t-shirts, novelty items, and more souvenirs. This is another place that we always have to visit when we go to Portland.
Life is Good
Life is Good started in Massachusetts but has expanded to many stores predominantly located on the East Coast. They offer branded merchandise with all of their popular slogan and character drawings. The shop itself is historic, with an original scale in the back of the shop.
Sea Bags
Sea Bags have been increasingly popular over the years, and the original location is right on the Custom House Wharf in Portland. These bags, handmade from recycled sails, are a great souvenir of your trip.
The Portland location is on the water, and is open 7 days a week. It’s a small store but has a large selection of bag styles and sizes.
Mexicali Blues
This Portland Maine chain of stores offers boho-styled jewelry, clothing, and other accessories. There are two stores in Portland – right across from each other on Moulton Street in Old Port.
One of the stores offers jewelry and accessories, including sterling silver jewelry. The other location has clothing and other accessories. To get the full shopping experience, you’ll want to go to the two stores.
Urban Outfitters
I wouldn’t typically include a traditional chain store on this list. However, the Urban Outfitters in Portland is different from your average mall store. Located in the former location of the Canal Bank, this store retains much of the interior of the original bank.
The vault of the bank now houses the store’s clearance section. As you check out, you’ll see the former safety deposit boxes make up the checkout counter. Even if you don’t buy anything, it’s definitely worth walking in and checking out the store.
Longfellow Books
It offers new and used books. In addition, there’s a great children’s room in the back where young kids can find books that they will love. Even if we aren’t looking for a specific book, we always find this bookshop to be a fun place to stop and visit.
My son loves to read, so we always include a stop to Longfellow Books during our trips to Portland. This independent bookshop is located right in Monument Square, so it’s very convenient as you walk through the city.
Lisa-Marie’s Made in Maine
Looking for some local Maine-made items? Located on Exchange Street, this shop offers products made by local designers. Unique items from local artists include handmade jewelry, home decor, ceramics, specialty food, and wood products.
The Maine Mall
If you are looking for a more traditional mall shopping experience (especially if you’ve left something at home that you need to replace), the Maine Mall is located in South Portland, Maine. It offers many chain mall stores, including Apple, Sephora, Old Navy, Banana Republic, and Lululemon. You can get anything you need there, including home goods, clothes, and electronics.
If you are looking to explore beyond the greater Portland area, shopping options include Freeport Maine (home of LL Bean), and Kittery (where you’ll find the Kittery outlets as well as Kittery Trading Post).
Have you been shopping in Portland, Maine? What’s your favorite shop?
