As any parent of teenage girls knows, shopping is always at the top of the list when it comes to vacation activities. Our teen was not disappointed with the range of shopping options available in North Conway and the surrounding towns of New Hampshire’s Mount Washington Valley.
Shopping in downtown Conway, NH
Shopping in the Mount Washington Valley breaks down into two distinct experiences:
- The large direct manufacturer and name brand outlets clustered at the southern end of Route 16 in North Conway. The outlet area is anchored by Settlers’ Green Outlet Village, but is also well supported by large LL Bean, Eastern Mountain Sports and other destination outlets on both sides of the highway. A number of chain restaurants and hotels round out the outlet area.
- The small, eclectic shops found in the downtown centers of North Conway, Jackson, Conway and several other smaller towns. These downtown shopping areas tend to feature independently owned stores selling hand crafted jewelery, local artwork, fun tee shirts, and boutique clothing. The downtown streetscapes are charming with lots of character. Stroll the shops and catch lunch or dinner at one of the non-chain downtown restaurants to enjoy the local vibe.
All stores in New Hampshire share one attraction — no state sales tax, except on restaurants. This can quickly save shoppers from other states 5%, 6% or more depending on the sales tax rules at home. The outlets we shopped, including Adidas, Nike, Under Armour, Reebok, Hanesbrands and Coach, all seemed to offer standard pricing that was roughly 25% off manufacturer suggested retail pricing. From there, most outlet stores feature 50% discount racks, 2 for 1 specials and other promotions to help increase the discounts on some but not all items. Our teen was thrilled to be handed a 30% off coupon as she walked in the Coach store. Applied to an item from the 50% off rack she scored a stylish Coach wrist purse for about 1/3 of retail.
In the downtown shopping areas, the emphasis is more on finding something unique and memorable. In North Conway, our teen spent a great deal of time examining the wares at several small downtown shops before settling on an amber and silver ring. We found the shopkeepers to be very accommodating and appreciated their giving her ample time to browse.
Our visit to the Mount Washington Valley was arranged by the Mount Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce. Shopping was NOT a sponsored activity and we received no compensation from any of the stores mentioned here – everyone who visited Coach when we were there got that 30% off coupon. For our schedule, shopping was a good evening activity since the outlets are open until 9 pm.
Of course, for many visitors, shopping is the main attraction. We will leave it to you to set your own priorities. To get more ideas on how to spend your time in the Mount Washington Valley check out the links to our detailed reviews for things to do with teens by visiting our Mount Washington Valley Top 10 – Summer Edition landing page.
