12 Best Places to Go Shopping in Atlantic City

Tanger Outlets Atlantic City is a large open-air outlet shopping mall in Atlantic City, featuring over 100 stores spread over several blocks. You can easily reach it on a short stroll from Atlantic City Boardwalk and nearby casinos.

The shopping experience itself is like roaming through a small city, where you can hop by one outlet to another. Most are internationally recognized fashion brands like GUESS, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Coach, and Levi’s among many others. Whenever you need to have a break in between your browsing, Starbucks and Subway are just some of the many few food outlets within Tanger Outlets Atlantic City.

Playground Pier is a 4-storey shopping mall on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, connected to the Caesars luxury casino and hotel via a sky bridge. This mall features a selection of stores ranging from fashion, accessories, jewellery, handbags, and shoes, to electronics and more.

Designed to resemble the boardwalk, the 1st floor is focused on gifts and entertainment. Some shoppers’ favourite retailers in this mall include Victoria’s Secret, and Sugar, a candy shop with a large selection of sweets. After exploring the boardwalk, you can rest your legs in the quiet seating areas on the 3rd floor. It’s also where you’ll find upscale restaurants overlooking the boardwalk. Tuck into international, American, or Japanese fare as you take in the splendid view of the ocean.

James Candy Company is the creator of Atlantic City’s famous Fralinger’s saltwater taffy. Once you enter this cute place, you’ll be transformed into a kid in a candy store.

Besides the famous taffy, this speciality candy shop also sells other goodies like chocolate pretzels, fudge, macaroons, paddle pops, peanut chews, and Caramello candy bars. With so many choices, you’ll have a hard time picking just 1. Buy an assortment of these sweet treats for your friends and family–you can’t go wrong with these Atlantic City classics.

The Quarter, located within Tropicana Casino Resort Atlantic City, is a Cuban-themed mall with over 40 stores, 9 restaurants, 11 nightclubs, and a spa. Though it’s enclosed, the mall exudes an old-world charm with tropical outdoor vibes. You'll find many palm trees, a cobblestone ground, and a ceiling painted like the blue sky.

Besides the decor, visitors to this mall love it for the wonderful collection of high-end speciality stores like Swarovski, as well as the large variety of dining and nightlife options on offer. Chow down on Cuban food at Cuba Libre or boogie to disco tunes at Boogie Nights. There’s even an IMAX theatre if you’re in the mood for a movie.

Atlantic City Boardwalk, constructed in 1870, is a historical landmark of the city. It provides access to several casinos, resorts and hotels. Forming extensions of the boardwalk, several piers feature attractions and cultural venues like Atlantic City historical museum and Atlantic City Art Center.

The boardwalk runs parallel to the ocean, allowing you to enjoy the ocean view on one side and shops on the other. As you stroll down the lively boardwalk, you’ll see a wide variety of stores and restaurants. Grab a bite, people-watch, or shop for souvenirs and gifts at the local speciality stores for products made in Atlantic City.

Hamilton Mall is a major shopping destination for vacationers looking for mid-range shopping options. A 20 minutes’ drive northwest from Atlantic City, the mall is the largest in Southeastern New Jersey, with over 140 stores.

The mall is anchored by Macy’s and consists of typical mall offerings of fashion, accessories, and shoes. Recognisable retailers here include Victoria’s Secret, H&M, and Forever 21. Avid gamers will love Level Up for retro games and comics or Game Stop for the latest consoles and releases. For hungry shoppers, there’s a food court with a fair selection of tasty offerings.

Brigantine Farmer’s Market is a weekly event held by the beach near Atlantic City. Shoppers come to this market for farm-fresh produce, handicrafts and ready-to-eat food from the food trucks. It’s a 10-minute drive from Atlantic City across the Brigantine Boulevard.

Here, you’ll find an eclectic mix of fresh-caught seafood, fresh Jersey corn and tomatoes from local farmers, local honey and handmade soaps. For a quick bite, you can pick from a choice of vendors selling doughnuts, baked goods, BBQ, pizza, and Aloha bowls, among several others. Brigantine Farmer’s Market is plastic-free, so bring your own shopping bags for this shopping trip.

The Atlantic City Farmers’ Market brings the community together every summer to browse through a variety of treats for sale. Located on Atlantic Avenue in between North and South Carolina Avenues, the market gives you a selection of delicious seasonal New Jersey produce. Gather all your favourite fruits and vegetables to save money and eat healthy during your trip. Local businesses, residents, and tourists are all drawn to the biweekly event.

Produce typically sold at the market includes eggplant, summer squash, sweet peppers, blueberries, cherries, peaches, plums, and much more. You’ll also find flowers, handmade crafts, fresh herbs, baked goods, and local honey.

Historic Smithville and Village Green is a great escape from the glitz and glamour of Atlantic City, filled with 60 small local speciality shops. Floating on a lake and surrounded by greenery, the shops in Smithville are located in historic wooden clapperboard-style buildings that give off a fairytale feel.

You can buy eco-friendly handmade clothing and accessories, honey harvested from New Jersey farms, handmade soap or homemade peanut butter amongst many other unique local items on sale here. Themed free weekend events are also held here to entertain you. With so many shops to browse through, a few hours would’ve passed by before you knew it.

Noyes Arts Garage houses over 15 shops and art studios run by students of Stockton College. It’s a hidden gem tucked away in a parking garage between Tangier Outlets and Atlantic City Boardwalk. In this garage, artists have set up little shops to sell their handmade crafts, while visitors enjoy art in the exhibit areas.

There’s a doll and toy store to delight the kids. Street art, crocheted necklaces, and handmade clothes are also for sale here. You can also purchase some unique pieces of art and reasonable prices or witness the artists at work.

Princeton Antiques Book Shop in an Atlantic City treasure, occupying an entire building with hundreds of books on shelves outside. This book store specialises in books from the 19th and 20th century, often sourcing for out-of-print books.

Bibliophiles will love this bookstore not only for its impressive collection of 250,000 titles for kids and adults but also for the negotiable prices. While shoppers can browse the books on the shelves outdoors, there’s a small space set up indoors for more looking through of the books for sale. If you’re looking for a particular title you can’t find elsewhere, try your luck with the free book search service offered. Antique viewing is by appointment only.

Get a taste of the Atlantic City shore with the confections from Fralinger's Original Saltwater Taffy. Visitors to the city claim that this store is a necessity on their Atlantic City trip.

Originally made with molasses, the addictive saltwater taffy now come in a variety of flavours like peanut butter, root beer, and coconut among many others. If you can't decide which flavour to try, get one of each and bring home a piece of the shore to your loved ones.