The Twin Cities Metro Area Ranks Sixth in America’s Retail Therapy Destinations
Who doesn’t love a bit of retail therapy, right?
It’s all about finding that balance, though, so you’re not breaking the bank!
Yes, even frugal families like to get out and at least window shop to see what’s new. There’s something special about hitting the stores with your friends, browsing and maybe snagging a deal or two.
Sure, online shopping has its appeal, but nothing beats trying stuff on and feeling those new styles in person. And stores do offer a lot of great deals that are best to explore at stores’ brick and mortar locations.
Even frugal moms like me like to visit malls like Rosedale Mall and the Mall of America for unique finds, to try on clothes and shoes, and enjoy a meal at a food court. I especially enjoy shopping in secondhand stores and thrift stores for affordable fashions and goods.
For us fashion-conscious people, the Twin Cities is a good place to be. In fact, according to a recent survey from storage marketplace StorageCafe that ranked major urban hubs around the country for the quality of the shopping experience, the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington metro area is the sixth-best retail therapy destination. The study identified the country’s shopping hot spots based on indicators such as the number of retail establishments, the number of retail workers, foot traffic characteristics, household expenditures, local incomes, and more. And yes, the Minneapolis/St. Paul area ranked high on the list!
Of course, it helps that Minnesota doesn’t charge sales taxes on clothing!
The shopping experience in the Twin Cities comes with top-notch customer assistance
The Twin Cities metro area offers an abundance of retail options, boasting over 3.5K establishments for shoppers to explore. With total retail space hitting 171M square feet, residents can enjoy ample room for their shopping adventures, averaging about 46 square feet per person.
In addition to the wide variety of shops, the local retail scene is known for its exceptional customer service. With more than 20 retail workers per 1,000 residents, friendly assistance is always close at hand. Whether you’re visiting the renowned Mall of America or other popular destinations like Edina Galleria or St. Paul’s Grand Avenue, you can expect a pleasant and hassle-free shopping experience.
Moreover, the area is not short on smaller boutiques and trendy designer stores where you can get your fashion fix. Equation is great for unique clothing, offering both high-end and local brands, as do Larue’s and GH2 Designer Resale, to name a few. For those who love home decorating, there are plenty of choices available, from cool vintage furniture stores like Flamingo’s to Findfurnish and Nadeau, which feature beautiful, handcrafted pieces that can quickly transform any home into a unique space.
For those seeking to maximize home spaces, the area is also well equipped to assist locals with their storage needs. There are more than 2,800 storage units in Minneapolis and another 1,300 units available in St. Paul, with prices averaging at around $103 for a standard 10’x10’ unit.
Twin Cities residents spend the most on dining out and household items
Local retail purchases amount to approximately 12% of the metro area’s average household income. With the latter now sitting at over $91K, it means that a family in the area spends almost $11K annually in local retail establishments.
Restaurants and other dining venues are eating up the lion’s share of the money, about 32% of local household expenditures on retail. Household items are a close second, with Twin Cities residents spending about 30% of their shopping allowance on furniture, appliances and other home goods.
Local households spend, on average, over $1,800 annually on clothing, shoes, accessories and related services — that’s about 17% of the local retail budget. Other common purchases include personal care products and services, at almost $1,100 annually, and housekeeping supplies, at almost $900 per year. Locals also spend an average of almost $250 on books each year.
Where do you fit in to these statistics?
Sooo…if the Twin Cities are #6, who is #1?
Greater Miami is the country’s top retail destination
If you love doing a bit of shopping while on vacation, then Miami might just be the perfect destination for you. Not only does it have an entire host of typical vacation attractions, but it’s also the country’s ultimate shopper’s paradise. Greater Miami has an impressive 8,891 retail establishments, where you can find everything from luxury brands to budget-friendly options.
Just to give you an idea of how many shopping alternatives are in Miami, the available retail space in the metro area is roughly the equivalent of . . . 5.7K football fields. And, if you have a weakness for fashion, you will be happy to know that almost 4K stores in Miami are dedicated to clothing and accessories.
The Atlanta metro area takes the second spot among the country’s top 20 largest metros for its amazing shopping scene, which boasts 6.7K retail establishments.
The third in line is the St. Louis metro area, which stands out when it comes to the sheer amount of retail space available per capita — a whopping 85.5 square feet. However, in absolute numbers, it’s the NY-NJ-PA tristate area that has the highest square footage of retail space — nearly 700M square feet, divided between no less than 25K establishments.
Another interesting tidbit about the nation’s shopping scene: Philadelphia metro area residents spend the most on local retail, exceeding $13K, followed by locals from San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Denver.
Here’s the list of top 10 metro areas for retail therapy:
Read the full report here.
Are you surprised by any of these statistics? Share in the comments!
Free printable!
And since the Mall of America is a major hub for shopping (and more) in the Twin Cities area, as a frugal mom I created a list of all the FREE things to do with kids there, with a free printable scavenger hunt!