Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Hotels and City Guide

Philadelphia - Shopping

Philadelphia’s many neighborhoods are lined with shopping adventures. From quaint antique stores to urban shopping malls, everyone can find something to purchase. Antique Row, stretching from Pine Street to 12th Street offers every antique from colonial to art deco. Classic Antiques, located at 922 Pine Street, has a selection of country French collectibles. Albert Maranca, just down the street at 1100 Pine, carries bronze and marble collectibles. M. Finkler & Daughter provides an extensive selection among 17th to 19th-century needlework. Jansen Antiques will show you a variety of Asian collectibles. Along Antique Row, everything from stained glass and estate jewelry to rare books can be found.

Center City offers a haven for shoppers. From The Gallery at Market East, Jewelers’ Row, and South Street, to The Shops at Liberty Place, opportunities abound for you to use your credit/debit cards. Cash will work, too. Old City has some new boutiques to look through, as well as some local favorites. This might be a good place to pick up mementos of your trip of local flavor to take home with you. The Reading Terminal Market provides a terrific assortment of restaurants offering take-out food, as well as specialty food vendors. Amish farmers from nearby Lancaster County also bring items here to sell.

High-end clothing stores can be found at the elite Rittenhouse Row. Walnut Street, throughout a four-block section, offers inspired shopping experiences for clothing. Sansom and Chestnut streets, running parallel to Rittenhouse Row, provides some high-end boutiques and clothing stores as well. When purchasing clothing in Philadelphia (and throughout the entire state of Pennsylvania), the sales tax rate of 7 percent does not apply to clothing. That means you can buy more! Luxury items of clothing (i.e., fur coats, etc.), however, are not included in that exemption.

Large shopping malls can be found in the city as well. Franklin Mills in Northeast Philadelphia is one such location. The outlying suburbs also contain wonderful shopping experiences. The King of Prussia Mall, located 19 miles from the center of Philadelphia, in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, is the largest shopping mall on the Eastern Coast of the United States. Bargains can definitely be found there.

Those looking to browse bookshops can begin in the University City district, while those interested in perusing fabric shops will do well on Fabric Row, along South Fourth Street.

Shopping hours for individual stores are generally from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 or 6:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and open on Sunday from noon until 5:00 or 6:00 p.m. The shopping malls are typically open later in the evening, until 9:00 or 10:00 p.m. on selected week nights and Saturday.

Tax Refunds
The sales tax on most items in Philadelphia is 7 percent. It is almost never included in the price tag, but it will be incorporated into the final bill. No sales tax will be charged on most grocery items. Taxes are charged on newspapers and magazines, however, unless purchased from a coin-operated source. Hotels charge a 14% room tax. Check with your embassy to see if you qualify for a VAT.

Hotels in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania