The shopping scene in New Jersey can be broken down into three categories. In Atlantic City, there are high-end arcades with luxury retailers attached to the casinos along the boardwalk that cater exclusively to tourists. Outside the state’s large towns are outlet malls with affordable prices on dozens of well-known American brands. Finally, the historic towns are home to a nice collection of independent shops clustered around their downtown core.

The most upscale shopping is centered in Atlantic City. Popular destinations include The Pier Shops at Caesars, built on a 900-foot pier stretching out into the Atlantic. Its 75 shops and restaurants include haute couture like Gucci and Burberry. The Quarter at the Tropicana is Atlantic City’s other major shopping destination. Dozens of high-end retailers mix seamlessly with posh restaurants, bars and spas. Just like in Las Vegas, the environment is flashy and heavy on the entertainment.

At the other end of the spectrum are New Jersey’s many outlet shopping malls. There are more than a dozen scattered around the state, including Tinton Falls’ Jersey Shore Premium Outlets with 120 name brand stores, Liberty Village Premium Outlets with 40 stores in Flemington and Jackson’s Jackson Premium Outlets with over 70 retailers to browse. The best of the bunch is Jersey Gardens outside of Elizabeth, with more than 200 specialty stores on site. Most large towns have modern shopping malls as well, such as the huge Ocean County Mall at Tom’s River and the classy Mall at Short Hills.

Antiques are another highlight of Jersey shopping. Most of the state’s historic towns have a handful of antiques stores including Lambertville, the Antiques Capital of New Jersey. The many permanent antiques stores are backed up by the popular Golden Nugget Antiques Market, which happens three days a week in a large outdoor space downtown. The People’s Store is another hotspot with 40 vendors under one roof.