Discover the best places where to go shopping in San Francisco. In the city, there are many shopping malls, outlets and incredible streets for you to buy a lot.
Shopping malls in San Francisco
1. Stonestown Galleria Mall in San Francisco
The Stonestown Galleria Mall is one of the coolest and most luxurious malls in the city. Compared to Union Square, one of the city’s best-known high street shopping centers, Stonestown Galleria Mall offers a lot of bargains and a much quieter place to walk around and buy what you want.
Some of the main stores to be found there are Forever 21, Promod, Border Books, Nordstrom and Guess. In fact, the mall’s main highlight is Macy’s, a department store that has everything you need at incredible prices.
Stonestown Galleria Mall’s opening hours are from 10am to 9pm, Monday to Saturday. On Sundays, the mall is open from 11am to 7pm. If you want to visit during a holiday, rest assured that the mall is usually open.
- Important tip: San Francisco is a city with many tourist attractions, such as museums and tours. That’s why our tip is to always buy your tickets in advance. We buy everything on this website that has the best price.
2. Westfield San Francisco Centre
Known for being the largest shopping center in the western United States, the Westfield San Francisco Centre is home to many sought-after stores, such as J. Crew, Bloomingdale, Adidas, Hugo Boss, Coach, Guess, Rolex and many others.
However, the real highlight of the mall is the famous Nordstrom department store, which carries many products for the whole family at great prices.
If you want to visit, know that it is open from Monday to Saturday from 10am to 8.30pm and on Sundays from 11am to 8pm. Don’t miss the opportunity to visit it, as it’s certainly one of the best places to shop in San Francisco.
Outlets in San Francisco
1. Petaluma Village Premium Outlets near San Francisco
When talking about the best outlets in San Francisco, we couldn’t fail to mention the Petaluma Village Premium Outlets, located just 60 km from downtown San Francisco. The smallest of the three outlets in the region, Petaluma stands out for its charming atmosphere and the quality of its stores, even though they are few in number.
There are just over 60 stores, including famous brands such as Nike, Puma, Brooks Brothers, Coach, Levi’s, Jones New York, BCBG Max Azria, Ann Taylor, Hugo Boss, Banana Republic and Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th.
Another advantage of shopping there is that, due to its size, it is less frequented by tourists. As a result, the place is much more pleasant to walk around, the stores are emptier, there are more parking spaces, etc.
The outlet is open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 9pm and Sunday from 10am to 7pm.
2. San Francisco Premium Outlets
A great tip is to shop at San Francisco Premium Outlets. But this outlet is not located exactly in San Francisco, but in the town of Livermore, one hour away.
The best way to get there from San Francisco is by renting a car. By renting a car in the city, you can use it whenever you want, for as long as you want, as well as helping to carry your luggage after shopping.
The main sophisticated brands and designer labels at the outlet are Armani, Bloomingdale’s Outlet, Prada, Burberry, Polo Ralph Lauren, Kate Spade, Saks, Bloomies, Cole Haan, DKNY, Elie Tahari, Nike, Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th, Barneys New York and Last Call by Neiman Marcus.
All in all, there are 130 stores to suit all tastes. Its opening hours are similar to the others: Monday to Saturday from 10am to 9pm, and Sunday from 10am to 7pm.
3. Vacaville Premium Outlets near San Francisco
Located in the Vacaville area, this outlet has around 120 well-known stores such as Nike, Michael Kors, Kate Spade and New Balance. The outlet’s distinguishing feature is its open-air structure, which makes it cool and pleasant to walk around. If you want to buy quality goods at great prices, while enjoying an incredible walk, Vacaville is ideal for you.
- Important tip: to make the most of your trip to San Francisco, staying in the best areas is essential. So, if you want, check out our article explaining the main areas, the hotels and how you can save a lot on accommodation.
4. Gilroy Premium Outlet near San Francisco
One of the places with the greatest variety of products is the Gilroy Premium outlet, known for being the largest outlet in the entire state of California.
About an hour from downtown San Francisco, the outlet is home to more than 145 stores, including J.Crew, Brooks Brothers, Coach, Gap Outlet, Levis, Hugo Boss, Polo Ralph Lauren, Carter’s and Gymboree, Sanrio, Lucky Brand, Nike, Adidas, Tommy and Banana Republic.
One of Gilroy Outlet’s specialties is children’s clothing and accessories, making it the ideal place to renew children’s closets. And we can’t fail to mention the great discounts they offer every day, reaching almost 60%. In our opinion, it is certainly the best outlet in San Francisco.
The Gilroy Premium Outlet is open from Monday to Saturday, from 10am to 9pm. On Sundays, it’s open from noon to 6pm.
Union Square in San Francisco
The financial heart of San Francisco is home to the city’s largest street shopping area: Union Square. The area is one of the most beautiful and bustling in the city, with many visitors passing through the streets throughout the day. In this sense, a stroll there is a must to get to know more of the city and enjoy good shopping.
It’s worth noting that there are many options for hotels, restaurants and cultural centers, making it an area that offers much more than just shopping, if that’s not your thing. However, if you want to do a lot of shopping, Union Square offers great options, beating the big outlets and malls in the city.
First of all, it has many department stores, such as Macy’s, Barneys New York, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale and Saks Fifth Avenue. And for those who crave the big international brands, you can visit the area with peace of mind as you’ll find plenty of variety. Dior, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Armani, Tiffany & Co., Chanel and Prada, for example, are some of the names to be found there.
Shopping districts in San Francisco
In addition to the city’s main shopping malls and outlets, there are a few neighborhoods that are perfect for doing a little shopping and securing lots of new items. We recommend the Chinatown and Castro neighborhoods. The first neighborhood has products and souvenirs typical of China, all very interesting. The Castro is great for those looking for stylish clothes, shoes and accessories.
Important tips for shopping in San Francisco
A great tip for anyone shopping in the city is to always take a large backpack or wheeled suitcase. They are perfect for helping you to carry your purchases more comfortably throughout the day. And we guarantee that they make all the difference, since you’ll be buying a lot and carrying them with you all day long.
Two great stores to buy suitcases at the best prices are Samsonite and Marshalls.
Finally, another very important tip is that as all the main tourist and shopping spots in the city are very far away from each other, it’s well worth renting a car to be able to access all the places more easily.
Save money on your trip to San Francisco:
Tickets: find out where to buy your San Francisco tickets in the cheapest and safest way. You can save up to 40%!
Car: if you are thinking about renting one this is the best website. It compares the price at all rental companies and finds unbeatable prices. You can save up to 30%!
Mobile chip: we always use this chip. It’s electronic (eSIM), you install it instantly and you can use your cell phone’s Internet anywhere in the world.
Hotels: our article on where to stay in San Francisco. You will find out the best areas and how to save a lot on the hotel.
Travel insurance: medical care in another country is very expensive and it is extremely important to take out travel insurance for any trip abroad. This is the website we always take out our insurance on. Reliable and at a good price.
