A regular fixture on lists of America’s most liveable cities, Cleveland is home to acclaimed eateries, a thriving arts scene, and thousands of miles of green space. Located in the US state of Ohio, the city is also a major industrial, financial, and cultural hub, with a buzzing downtown district and a number of rejuvenated neighbourhoods dotted with dining, nightlife, art and music venues.
A commercial street at night in Cleveland (Photo: Edsel Little via Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0)
The majority of Cleveland’s best shops and boutiques can be found downtown, but there’s a healthy sprinkling across the entire city. If you like the idea of indulging in some retail therapy while in Cleveland and would like to know where to find some of the more unique shopping destinations here, we’ve picked out 12 of the best.
VNTG Home
Remember going on fun-packed treasure hunts as a kid? Well, this unique home furnishings store gives customers the chance to relive their childhoods by scouring around for trinkets designed to give your home a quirky design flourish. Opened in 2017, the 65,000 square foot warehouse is stacked full of vintage furniture and decor. There’s also an on-site upcycling design center helmed by talented designers and artisans, all dedicated to transforming discarded products into cherished pieces featuring custom paint finishes, colours and fabrics. The VNTG Home fabric selection boasts over 800 fabrics that are imported from France and other global design hot spots. With its one-of-a-kind furniture paired with extraordinary fabric, VNTG Home is the eco-chic design destination of choice for interior design enthusiasts across Cleveland. Let the treasure hunt begin!
LOCATION 1235 Marquette Street
(Photo: VNTG Home)
b.a. Sweetie Candy Company
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory may have been a work of fiction, but this long-running candy emporium is a real life equivalent. Offering an incredible 4,500+ classic and contemporary sweets, treats and chocolates, the giant wholesaler has been a mainstay in Cleveland for more than six decades and is widely thought to be America’s largest store dedicated to all things candy. As well as its sugary wares – including an old-school soda shop – the venue also has its own 36-hole miniature golf course.
LOCATION 6770 Brookpark Road HOURS Mon-Fri 11am-7pm Closed Sat-Sun
Flower Child
A premier vintage, mid-century department store, Flower Child is the go-to destination in Cleveland for lovers of retro classics for the home. Featuring items dating from the 1930s through to the 1980s, the shop’s remarkable array of hand-picked vintage furniture, art, and housewares are cleverly displayed as they would be in original homes from the era, giving the store the look and feel more akin to a museum than a conventional retail space.
LOCATION 11508 Clifton Boulevard
(Photo: Flower Child)
Tidal Cool
Tidal Cool has acquired quite the reputation since its launch in 2012, earning acclaim for the design and tailoring that go into its eye-catching ranges of clothing, jewellery, and henna art. With a strong nod towards the colours and fabrics of Ghana, the brand’s bold, timeless garments, art and accessories represent a harmonious marriage between African inspiration and American design.
LOCATION 2406 Professor Avenue
The Cleveland Candle Co.
A retail store by day, The Cleveland Candle Co also hosts workshops and parties, all dedicated to the time-honoured crafts of fragrance and candle-making. The venue sells a huge selection of handmade candles (including custom candles), lip balms and other gifts, while its private parties and fragrance classes invite guests to come and experience the thrill of creating their own bespoke scents in a relaxed, casual setting.
LOCATION 2032 West 25th Street
(Photo: The Cleveland Candle Co.)
Reincarnation Vintage Design
After starting life as a relatively humble, family-owned furniture restoration business and antique reseller, RVD has grown into something of a Cleveland institution. With its unique blend of handcrafted, one of a kind home furnishings, the store is a testament to the human capacity for renewal, selling everything from a galvanized coal cart rescued from an old mine and converted into a kitchen island to a dusty carpenter’s workbench reimagined as a stylish dining room side table.
LOCATION 7810 Lorain Avenue
(Photo: Reincarnation Vintage Design)
Wild Cactus Boutique
Housing an eye-catching collection of vintage and modern women’s clothing, shoes and accessories for every day wear, Wild Cactus Boutique has been the shopping destination of choice for many Cleveland fashionistas since opening its doors in 2017. The store’s curated collections include several one-of-a-kind pieces inspired by the founder’s travels across the US west and southwest, many featuring colours influenced by the desert. As well as apparel, the shop also sells locally-crafted jewellery.
LOCATION 2138 West 25th Street
Sweet Lorain
Home to clothes and collectibles spanning the entire 20th century, Sweet Lorain stocks an incredible assortment of vintage furnishings, Christmas décor, lamps, record players, novelty toys, telephones, glassware, jewellery and accessories from the past. A number of renowned – but now defunct – brands of yesteryear are represented here, giving the venue the qualities of a fashion time capsule and providing a blast from the past for all visitors of a certain age.
LOCATION 7105 Lorain Avenue
(Photo: Sweet Lorain)
We Bleed Ohio
Sports fans visiting Cleveland and looking for a memento from their trip are likely to find some real gems in this well-stocked store which sells a huge selection of Ohio-themed fan gear and accessories, including apparel, pins, stickers, drink ware, jewellery, postcards, magnets and more. The shop offers a fair bit more charm than your common-or-garden souvenir outlet, with a commitment to supporting independent small businesses and featuring a number of items created by local artists.
LOCATION 530 Euclid Avenue
(Photo: We Bleed Ohio)
Penzeys Spices
One of America’s biggest spice retailers, Penzeys Spices’ Cleveland outlet offers a vast selection of branded spices, with individual gift packaging available. Whether it’s something to spice up your BBQ meats, hearty stews or delectable desserts, the sheer choice – not to mention the heat from some of its more potent products – on offer at Penzeys may very well blow you away.
LOCATION 2000 West 25th Street
Loganberry Books
It doesn’t take long after entering Loganberry Books to notice that this is not your average book store. With its oriental rugs, creaky hardwood flooring and vintage furniture pieces, the independently owned shop has the appearance and ambience of a beautiful old study in a private home. Nestled behind this distinctive façade, however, are well over 100,000 used and rare titles, spanning everything from children’s and illustrated books, women’s history and literature, leatherbound and modern first editions, and fine and performing arts.
LOCATION 13015 Larchmere Boulevard
(Photo: Loganberry Books)
The Salvage Yard & Unique Boutiques
A small, family-owned resale store located a quick 20-minute drive west of central Cleveland, The Salvage Yard & Unique Boutiques is a highly original retail concept. There is a resale thrift store in the front area that offers quality used furniture and home décor, including handmade items, antiques and collectables, while the back area is dedicated to several boutique concessions who have been invited to use the Salvage Yard’s platform to sell their wares.
LOCATION 22935 Lorain Road, Fairview Park