Best of Western Mass: Holiday Shopping

Content

Amherst and its surrounding communities offer wonderful shopping areas that are sure to fulfill your holiday shopping needs. Whether you want to stay close to campus or venture out further, plenty of options exist. 

Image

Amherst Center

Downtown Amherst boasts great storefronts with a variety of merchandise. If you need a gift for a younger family member, the Toy Box downtown is an excellent place to shop for children’s toys and activities. Another store offering a unique blend of goods is Aster & Pine Market, located next door to the Toy Box. If you take a stroll through downtown, you will be sure to discover some local hidden gems. 

Mill District

If you want to venture outside of downtown but stay within Amherst, The Mill District is the perfect place. Tucked away in North Amherst, it’s home to several shops where you’re sure to find the perfect gift. The Mill District General Store is a curated gift shop with more options than you can imagine, many made by local artists and crafters. For the holiday season, they specialize their inventory, making gift shopping a breeze. Just across the way is The Closet, a locally owned consignment store, where you'll find preloved clothes, shoes, purses, and more—an excellent way to shop sustainably this holiday season!

Outside of Amherst

Downtown Northampton is known for its vibrant shopping scene, which truly comes alive during the holiday season. If you’re looking for a one-stop shop, this is the place to be. Right in the heart of downtown, you’ll find Thornes Marketplace, an indoor shopping center offering clothing, shoes, books, trinkets, and everything in between. Throughout the rest of downtown, many other stores are perfect for finding beloved brands. If you're shopping for friends, Urban Outfitters has a large storefront downtown and stays up to date with current trends. For those who enjoy clothes shopping but want to be sustainable, there are several consignment stores, such as Luxe Consignment, Urban Exchange, and Roz’s Place, just to name a few.

Northampton's downtown is full of quaint and cute stores

Some more mainstream options are located off of Route 9 in Hadley such as L.L. Bean, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and Dick’s Sporting Goods. The PVTA bus B43 brings passengers to the middle of the shopping center which is a great option for students with no car on campus. 

We hope that you enjoy the holiday season and the joy of giving to family and friends!