Unique Shopping in Grand Rapids

Grand Rapids is a great place to browse one-of-a-kind stores overflowing with items you won't find anywhere else. Whether you're shopping for family, friends, or yourself, you won't walk away empty handed if you set out for these neighborhoods shops.

Downtown: Monroe Center

You'll find a number of distinctive stores just steps from downtown hotels – and just steps from your room, if you stay at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel. The Amway’s onsite shops include Boutique Emmanuel , which boasts a large selection of women's clothing, handbags and accessories, and Right Bank Wine Selections, offering a vast, revolving inventory of bottles for retail sale.

Cross Monroe Avenue just outside the Amway and head toward Rosa Parks Circle  and Monroe Center, where you can visit a number of specialty shops over the span of a five-minute walk from west to east:

• ​Old World Olive Co. is stocked with dozens of flavored oils and vinegars
• GVSU Laker Store  offers an assortment of merchandise from West Michigan's largest university
• Rebel Nell makes and sells jewelry from repurposed materials, mainly fallen graffiti
• Vault of Midnight is your ultimate destination for all things comics-related
• Madcap Coffee is an award-winning coffeehouse selling bagged coffee and a curated selection of filter and brewing equipment in addition to made-to-order coffee drinks
• The Aroma Labs walks you through creating your own custom scent that can be turned into everything from beard oil to perfume to car ornaments
• Courage & Soar offers size-inclusive clothing and unique artisanal gifts
• Oh, Hello Co. Paper & Gifts features an array of stationery, home and lifestyle goods
• Lovely La Vie is a woman’s clothing and accessory boutique designed to take you from work to weekend
• Greyson Clothiers focuses on performance golf, lifestyle and activewear for the entire family
• Shinola is a Detroit-based lifestyle brand crafting exquisite timepieces, beautiful leather goods and other gifts built to last

Just steps from Monroe Center is Periwinkle Fog , where you’ll find children’s toys, books, home décor, pottery and artwork. Also nearby is The 12th House , an LBGTQ-friendly shop with locally made pride merchandise and home items plus astrology, reiki and tarot readings.

Be sure to visit the gift shops at downtown museums for out-of-the-ordinary items. The Grand Rapids Art Museum , Grand Rapids Children's Museum , Grand Rapids Public Museum  and Gerald R. Ford Museum  all offer unique treasures to commemorate your cultural experience.

These are just a few of downtown’s 100+ stores, all within a 10-minute walk of each other. Find more on our Shopping page – scroll down and click “Downtown” under Regions on the left side of your screen.

Heartside: Resale Row

Just around the corner from Monroe Center is Division Avenue, which is the main artery of downtown’s Heartside neighborhood. The 0.4-mile stretch of Division from Fulton Street to Wealthy Street is a Resale Row of sorts, known for its concentration of excellent secondhand and thrift shops. Walk south from Fulton Street to visit these Resale Row locations:

•  Second Vibess  , which “reimagines” vintage clothing into cool new fashions
•  Rewind , featuring vintage tees, streetwear, rare cards and more
•  OTONO  , offering a curated collection of secondhand clothing, accessories and home goods plus a coffee shop, Café OTONO
• Decaydence Vintage  , stocked with vintage clothing, housewares, toys and more
• Vertigo Music  , featuring a vast selection of new and used LPs, CDs and cassettes
• Zabház , a vintage store that strives to make everyone feel welcome
• Crow’s Hold Vendor Market, housing 70+ vendors presenting a mix of curated and vintage finds plus handmade art, clothing, gifts, home décor and food items
• Khloe Mae Bridal  , specializing in new and gently used bridal, prom and formal dresses

Also located in Heartside is Endcap Market and Studios, where local artists and small businesses create and invite the public in for retail sales, classes and events.

Don’t leave Heartside without visiting the Grand Rapids Downtown Market , named one of America’s 13 Must-Visit Food Halls by Tasting Table. The Market is home to 20+ artisan food vendors and restaurants, year-round public events and the annual two-month Christkindl Markt, a European-style Christmas village. The Market is a five-minute walk from Endcap Market and Studios.

Uptown: Homegrown Variety

Head about a mile east of downtown to the Uptown neighborhood and you'll be greeted with a bevy of shops clustered around several main streets. Start your shopping journey on Wealthy Street with a stop at Art of the Table , a beloved gourmet food, beverage and table accessory shop. Then it’s off to:

• Homebody, featuring trendy new and secondhand clothing, jewelry and gifts
• Fox Naturals for a wide variety of plant-powered skin and hair care products
• The James Boutique, home to fashion-forward women’s clothing from upscale brands
• Sable Candle Co., offering natural soy wax candles and guided hands-on workshops
• Mokaya Chocolate, an artisanal shop with handcrafted truffles and other sweet treats
• Dime & Regal for quality fashion jewelry and custom-designed pieces
• Vintage Charm, a stylish boutique with women’s clothing, jewelry and more
• Jenna in White, featuring an exclusive selection of designer wedding gowns
• Nestology Shop and Studio, showcasing handmade items by local artisans
• The Counting House, a home goods and lifestyle boutique
• Feral, selling new and used outdoor gear and clothing
• The Plant Shop, known for its diverse selection of plants and knowledgeable staff
• Unwind GR, stocked with yarn, accessories and handmade items
• Rebel  for unique and creative gifts of all kinds

Just north of Wealthy Street is Cherry Street, where over a one-block stretch you can visit Covet Leisure , offering a line of women’s clothing for leisure, living and lazing; Honey Jewelry, a custom jewelry store; Commune , a store with a California vibe that’s packed to the brim with unique gifts, home décor, jewelry and much more; Gemini Handmade , featuring handcrafted leather goods and gifts; and Books & Mortar, an independent bookstore. Close by is Global Infusion , where you can browse a wide assortment of loose leaf teas and handcrafted goods.

Follow Cherry Street to Lake Drive and spend some time at Argos Books , a favorite local source for used books and comics since 1975. Wax Poetic Candle Bar , just down the street, is the place to go for custom-made candles, lotions, soaps, and more. You can also book a reservation to make your very own candle, or purchase a candle making kit to dive into at home. Another three-minute walk will take you to Sticky Fingers , the candy store of your dreams.

Visit our Uptown page for more shops in each of the district’s four main business districts, along with restaurants for fueling up between stores.

Gaslight Village: High Style

Less than two miles further east is Gaslight Village, a beautifully maintained stretch of specialty shops and restaurants that leads directly to Reeds Lake, a popular all-sports destination.

Shop Athleta for trendy women’s sportswear and accessories; FP Movement for free-spirited workout clothes and wellness gear; Pink Lemonade for baby and children’s clothing; Snapdragon Boutique for children’s shoes and stylish apparel; and Suited for women’s swimwear and beachwear.

Southeast Grand Rapids: West Michigan Exclusives & Local Legends

Gaslight Village is just two miles from Breton Village, an open-air shopping destination featuring a collection of trendsetting national brands – Anthropologie, Design Within Reach, EVEREVE, LOFT, lululemon, Madewell, Mason Jones, West Elm and more – plus such local icons as Leigh’s (luxury women’s clothing), Fitzgerald’s (upscale menswear) and RC Caylan Atelier , the namesake shop and showroom of an award-winning designer who dresses many of Hollywood’s hottest stars.

From there, you're only two miles away from Woodland Mall and the 28th Street shopping corridor. Woodland is West Michigan’s largest shopping mall, featuring more than 125 shops and restaurants, including the only Grand Rapids locations of Abercrombie & Fitch, The Apple Store, Pottery Barn, Urban Outfitters, Williams-Sonoma and more.

The 28^th Street shopping corridor is dominated by big brand-name stores, but there are a number of independent retailers sprinkled in – including A.K. Rikk's , a luxury clothing store armed with a team of expert stylists; Design Quest, which has been brining Scandinavian-style furniture and décor to town since 1972; Flowerland, a year-round garden center serving Grand Rapids for 75+ years, and Schuler Books, an independent bookstore opened here in 1982. Close by is Bill & Paul's Sporthaus , which has equipped Grand Rapids for any and all outdoor adventures since 1961.

Short Drive

Downtown Ada: Upscale Boutiques

Downtown Ada – aka Ada Village – is an upscale walkable shopping (and dining) district 15 minutes east of Grand Rapids. While many of the buildings here have been erected in the last decade, their designs evoke the charm of an earlier era. Shop for women’s clothing and accessories at Croft Haus, Gina’s Boutique and The James Boutique; menswear at Roman James; children’s fashions at Tip Toes and Village Kids Consignment Boutique; and apparel for everyone at Laurel & Jack.

The Artisan Fox, Fort Collective, Pursuit Paper & Gifts, and Lima-United by Love offer distinctive gifts and home décor items, while Plumfield Books is a locally owned and operated independent bookstore.

Visit Ada Village on the web for a full list of shops.

Downtown Rockford: Small Town Treasures

Downtown Rockford, just 20 minutes north of Grand Rapids, is a quaint shopping village with 50+ walkable shops and riverfront restaurants. Find beautiful clothing pieces and accessories at Hey Girlfriend, Ila & Lucille, Jade, Paperdoll Boutique, LBD Exchange Consignment Boutique, and other local shops. Browse décor and knickknacks at Cloth + Cabin, Era, Gather-d and The Bleu Slate. Explore the nooks and crannies of Aunt Candy’s Toy Company and Epilogue Books, with or without your kids. 

The city is also home to Rockford Footwear Depot, a sprawling shoe shop offering great deals on Chaco, Hush Puppies, Merrell, Saucony, Stride Rite, and other brands from locally headquartered Wolverine Worldwide.

Visit the Heart of Rockford on the ‘net for a full list of shops and restaurants.

Lake Michigan Beach Towns: Artsy & Cozy

Lake Michigan beach towns, 30-45 minutes from downtown GR, are unique finds in and of themselves. They also offer some excellent shopping if you're out on a day trip.

Downtown Grand Haven is lined with specialty shops on the way to the channel into Lake Michigan, so you can pair your beach day with some shopping. Downtown Holland features over 100 locally owned retailers and restaurants, and has been named a Great American Main Street. Downtown Muskegon has 25+ walkable stores and many more around town. Saugatuck/Douglas, dubbed the Art Coast of Michigan, has two downtowns filled with art galleries and fun shops.

Check out Grand Rapids antique shops, comic book shops, gift shops, record stores, secondhand shops & thrift stores, shopping malls, and sweet shops for even more great finds!