Shopping
The Twin Cities are a shopper’s paradise. They are home to America’s first (Southdale) and to its largest shopping mall (Mall of America). Best of all, there is no sales tax on clothing. Tax on other goods is 7% and some shops that cater for tourists will not charge tax if goods are shipped out of the state. Global Refund (tel: (845) 348 7673 or (800) 566 9829; fax: (845) 348 1549; e-mail: taxfree@us.globalrefund.com; website: www.globalrefund.com) can provide further information on claiming a tax refund on items purchased in the USA.
Shop opening hours are generally Monday to Friday 0800-2100 or 0900-2200, Saturday 0930-1800 and Sunday 1200-1700.
Nicollet Mall is a pedestrian thoroughfare covering a 12-block stretch of Nicollet Avenue in Downtown Minneapolis. There are more than 400 retail outlets in this area – including the flagship Dayton’s department store – many of which are connected by the city’s famous skyways. Also located here is Gaviidae Common – an upmarket shopping complex with department stores Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue, as well as designer boutiques – and other complexes, such as the IDS Center Crystal Court.
From May to September there are farmers’ markets on Thursdays and Saturdays on the Nicollet Mall, with fruit and vegetables, flowers, clothing and crafts. There is also a farmer’s market in St Paul, at 290 East Fifth Street, on Saturdays and Sundays between May and November.
The Uptown area south of Downtown around Hennepin Avenue and Lake Street contains more than 200 stores, primarily trendy, one-off shops such as those at Calhoun Square selling import and gift items, fashions, arts and crafts and jewellery. Town Square and the World Trade Center are two shopping centres in Downtown St Paul. Grand Avenue between Fairview Avenue and Dale Street also contains attractive one-of-a-kind shops.
Shopping malls abound. Southdale Mall in Edina opened in 1956, as the world’s first enclosed shopping mall. Adjacent this is the more upmarket Galleria shopping centre. The ‘Dales’ also include Ridgedale in the west, Brookdale in the northwest and Rosedale in the north. The mother of them all, however, is the Mall of America, the country’s largest shopping and entertainment complex, with more than 400 stores, theatres, cinemas and an indoor theme park with rides. It is located in the southern suburb of Bloomington.
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Shopping