Because NH is one of only four (4) states that doesn't have a sales tax many people come here to shop. Almost all our border communities have 'strong-for-the-area' retail opportunities, but some areas are better than others and some of the larger communities are nearly retail meccas.

To help you get the most out of your shopping experience, we have prepared this little guide.

There are several malls in the state but these are the largest, listed alphabetically:

Concord - Steeple Gate Mall
Manchester - Mall of NH
Merrimack - Premium Outlets
Nashua - Pheasant Lane Mall
Newington - Fox Run Mall
Salem - The Mall at Rockingham Park


Cities/Areas with the best shopping opportunities are as follows:

Concord has three significant shopping areas, downtown including Main Street and the Capitol Shopping Center just down the hill (east) of it, Ft. Eddy Road with its 4 shopping centers, and Concord Heights, where most of the heavy retail action is in and near the Steeple Gate Mall.

Hampton Beach - During the summer season, the many mom and pop shops along the beach offer numerous clothes, sweets, gifts and jewelry items. If you plan to spend the day, park a few blocks away from the shoreline in any of the many private parking lots. If you just plan a couple of hours, park near the water but bring plenty of quarters.

Manchester - While difficult to explain, we estimate that 95% of Manchester's retail opportunities lay within 2 blocks of a long drive through the city, beginning with US Route 3 & 28 on the north side (Hooksett Road), south following Route 3 onto Webster Street, then Elm Street (downtown), then Queen City Avenue to S. Willow Street (crossing back onto Route 28 once again) then down to the Mall of NH and beyond.

Merrimack - Having opened in 2012, the Merrimack Premium Outlets are attractive, beckoning and rewarding: over 100 outlets occupy this space, just a half-mile from the Anheuser-Busch plant.

Nashua has the benefit of having a thriving downtown area, Amherst Street (Route 101A) west of US Route 3 (the Everett Turnpike), which has a several shopping centers with a wide assortment of big box stores and mom and pops, and the Pheasant Lane Mall located on the retail dense Daniel Webster Highway, in south Nashua. (Click here for more information.)

North Conway / Conway - A drive through Conway, Center Conway and North Conway will reward even the most discriminating shopper. Conway and Center Conway have many factory outlet and clothing stores, while northernmost North Conway is rich with Mom and Pops.

Portsmouth has a vibrant downtown, predominately Mom and Pops, with a high density of restaurants. Settled in 1630, the city is right on the waterfront, has numerous tourist attractions and a significant 'port city' feel. There is also a strong retail corridor from downtown headed northwest along Market Street / Woodbury Avenue out to the Fox Run Mall in immediately adjacent Newington.

Salem - Salem's two primary retail opportunities are the well trafficked Route 28 (South Broadway) and The Mall at Rockingham Park, both accessible from Exit 1 on Interstate 93. Route 28 has an eclectic assortment of big box stores and mom and pops and the mall is 2 stories and contains over 140 vendors.

Tilton - Just off exit 20 of Interstate 93, the Tanger Outlet boasts 50+ stores plus a few nearby big box stores.

Beer and Wine is sold in most grocery stores. Liquor is sold only by the state at its approximately sixty + (60+) Liquor and Wine outlets. Antiques are best found along the 35 mile stretch of US Route 4 between Concord and the seacoast, called 'Antique Alley' by the locals.

For information about the state's downtown shopping opportunities, click for our Downtown Guide.


For More Shopping Information:

NH Shopping Centers and Malls (DirectoryNH.com)
Shopping in the White Mountains (VisitWhiteMountains.com)


► MORE VISITOR INFORMATION.

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