Elsewhere on this site, we detail some of the ways that Las Vegas shopping takes retail to an entirely new level, with access to the most exclusive and upscale stores in the world, all within a few miles. These shopping experiences are primarily housed inside some of the biggest and best hotels and casinos on the Vegas Strip, such as Caesar’s Palace, the Bellagio, the Venetian and Wynn Las Vegas.  They are unlike regular shopping centers and give an entirely new meaning to the word luxury, stocking the most sought-after labels across the world. Naturally, these luxuries come with a hefty price tag. Most people may enjoy the window shopping at those upscale malls, but couldn’t dream of doing much shopping at them. So, what about the rest of us, who either need to go to the store – or who enjoy shopping without needing to take out a second mortgage on the house? Is there Las Vegas shopping for us?

Not to worry. Las Vegas has enough standalone malls and shopping centers, in all price ranges, to satisfy even the most inveterate shoppers. There’s no need to put your shopping genes on hold while you’re experiencing Vegas – put on  your shopping jeans and let’s head out for some terrific variety and some great bargains.

The first place to start your Las Vegas shopping experience is at the Fashion Show mall, sitting right in the middle of the Strip near the TI, Wynn Las Vegas, and the Venetian hotel and casinos. This sprawling, airy and comfortable mall, which entertains more than ten million visitors a year, has a Great Hall which features an 80-foot long fashion runway and a long list of shops to fit every budget, more than 200 in all. There are major department stores like Saks, Dillard’s and Macy’s; Nordstroms and Neiman-Marcus also have stores here. There are cool boutiques like Zara, Metropark and True Religion; lots of specialty stores selling everything from kitchen goods to clothing, shoes to art, and a host of moderately-priced and budget food choices. For most people, the Fashion Show mall would be like taking the largest mall in the big city near you, doubling or tripling the size, adding almost every major department store, and then filling it out with tons of other cool boutiques and stores you’d want to at least poke your head into. It’s a fun place to shop.

While on the subject of fun and Las Vegas shopping, we come to Town Square Mall just off the Strip, at the south end near Mandalay Bay.  This shopping center is designed to look like an comfortable older village, and the architecture makes it work perfectly, with designs from cities worldwide. Town Square Mall is really a family-oriented mall, with not only a large number of shops, but also a children’s park, a picnic area and a large movie theatre. There are also features two night clubs. The mix of stores is a nice blend of fashion and luxury, more like an upscale mall at home, with stores like Aldo, Banana Republic, Abercrombie and Fitch, MAC, Bath and Body Works, and Victoria’s Secret. It’s also a great place to shop if you’re staying in a condo, with a Whole Foods Supermarket on site.

For a different type of Las Vegas shopping spree on the Strip, full of fun and games, head to the Showcase Mall, right on the Strip near the MGM Grand, Monte Carlo and New York-New York Hotel and Casinos. This mall has two main tenants: Adidas, which offers footwear, clothing and accessories for every sport you can think of, as well as a museum of sorts, on its two floors – and M &Ms. That’s right, the candy; there’s a huge, three-story M & M’s World that you have to see to believe: toys, games, tons of M & M themed souvenirs, and of course, more chocolate candy than an entire city could eat at one sitting! If you’re thirsty after that, there’s also a World of Coca-Cola museum on site. Gaming enthusiast? GameWorks, with some of the most cutting edge multi-sensory games imaginable (some developed by Steven Spielberg, a climbing wall, virtual bowling – plus vintage video games and pinball machines. Adults-only on the second floor, please – that’s where the bars are. Showcase Mall also has the only first-run movie theater on the Strip, plus a magic shop and a food court.

A must-visit on your Las Vegas shopping expedition should be at least one of the Las Vegas Premium Outlets. There are two Outlets, each with different stores: North which is located near downtown, and South which is south of the Strip. The North Outlet will give you your fix of high fashion at lower prices; the South Outlet will be where you’ll be more likely to find the popular brands you’re looking for. At Las Vegas Premium Outlets North you can shop your way through Michael Kors, Dolce and Gabbana, Armani Exchange, Coach and Swarovski. There is also a Disney Store Outlet which will keep the kids happy, too. This mall has an extensive number of outlets so there is bound to be more than enough for everyone. Heading to Las Vegas Premium Outlets South? Among the outlet stores you’ll find are Aeropoostle, Skechers, Adidas, Nine West and Saks Fifth Avenue, plus Designer Fashion Clearance which carries designer labels at extremely low prices.

This Las Vegas shopping rundown wouldn’t be complete without a mention of the largest mall in Nevada, the Boulevard Mall, which is a fairly standard shopping center in  Paradise, just outside of Las Vegas; and the Fashion Outlets of Las Vegas, which is a terrific collection of outlet stores as varied as Burberry and Coach on one hand, and Williams-Sonoma, Nautica and Nine West on the other. Unfortunately, The Fashion Outlets are way out of town, almost to the California state line; there are, however, shuttles that run from the MGM Grand and Planet Hollywood.

For most people, it would take a terrific run at the tables or a big hit on the slots, in order to afford a shopping spree at some of the glamorous high-end malls in Las Vegas. These more approachable and affordable Las Vegas shopping malls, however, let you leave Vegas with some terrific bargains, no matter what your budget.