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Las Vegas,
Shopping
Although Las Vegas is best known for its casinos, the city has gained increasing popularity for shopping, to the point where this is now a major tourist draw in itself. Visitors can look forward to a wide variety of boutique shopping, featuring major European and American designers, as well as inexpensive factory outlet shopping. There is also the stereotypical memorabilia on hand – such as Elvis outfits, lighters and t‐shirts.
Shops are located anywhere tourists might happen to pass with money in their pockets – in other words anywhere in Downtown and on the Strip. As with almost everything, the hotel–casinos spare no expense in their efforts to attract customers. The Venetian’s Grand Canal Shoppes are situated among cobbled walkways that wind through designer boutiques culminating in a replica of St Mark’s Square. The Aladdin offers Desert Passage – a shopping complex based on the North African trade routes that stretched from Spain to the Arabian Sea – featuring cosmetics, men’s and women’s fashion, outdoor gear, gifts and much more. The Bellagio’s Via Bellagio offers upmarket European shops including Moschino, Chanel, Armani, Prada and Hermés. Paris Las Vegas features quaint cobblestone walkways rimmed with European and North American speciality stores.
Factory outlet malls are also very popular in Las Vegas, due to the considerable savings they offer on brand‐name goods. Caesars Palace Forum has over 100 outlets ranging from fashion shops, such as Gucci and Versace, to gourmet restaurants that include Spago and the Palm. The Belz Factory Outlet World, 7400 Las Vegas Boulevard South, offers over 140 outlets with brand names such as Danskin, Pfaltzgraff and Liz Claiborne. There are a number of department store malls in Las Vegas and the Fashion Show Mall, 3200 Las Vegas Boulevard South, is one of the city’s oldest and most prestigious shopping centres. It has recently undergone a renovation. Its upscale tenants include Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and Macy’s. The mall also features sidewalk cafés, upscale restaurants and a fashion catwalk for daily fashion shows.
An open‐air market takes place weekly 0730–1630 at 3901 Las Vegas Boulevard South, near Nellis Air Force Base. J & R’s Outdoors Swap Meet provides bargain hunters with a muddle of new and used collectibles and antiques. There are three farmer’s markets (tel: (702) 562 CORN/2676) in Las Vegas – Bruce Trent Park on Wednesday 1600–2000 (summer) and 1400–1800 (winter), Colonnade Shopping Plaza on Saturday 0800–1200 (summer) and 0900–1300 (winter) and a new market in Gardens Park, Tuesday 1400–1900.
A non‐refundable state sales tax of 7.25% is charged in Nevada. Stores are open seven days a week, normally 1000–2200.
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