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If there’s one shopping area convenient to Downtown to head for, it would have to be the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City. The high-quality, high-service Nordstrom’s is the anchor store, accompanied by Macy’s and over 150 other stores. Name aside, it’s not just for fashion. Tysons Corner (see Tysons Corner Center and Galleria at Tysons II) is a gigantic complex of two enclosed malls with a huge number and variety of stores and is the most popular shopping destination in the area. Take the Metro Blue or Yellow Line to Pentagon City.

This has long been an outstanding area for shopping for antiques, fashion, and the unique and unusual (see ). If you plan to visit Georgetown for shopping, taxi is the best way to get there; the Georgetown metro connection provides a shuttle from the nearest metro-rail stations, but carrying packages through two transit connections can be tiring.

No-sales-tax weeks are popular in Washington. Usually two or three weeks before Christmas, these events shave extra percentage points off prices that are often already reduced. As with everywhere in the US, after-Christmas sales are magnets for shoppers. Sales promotions are common for Presidents’ Day in February, July 4th, back-to-school in the last weeks of August, Columbus Day in October, and Veterans’ Day in November.

Retailers from small shops to huge department stores have sales on special merchandise, overstocks, and regular products to attract customers. The newspapers are the way to find these savings, such as the Washington Post (see Washington Post) and the Washington Times . Sunday editions, in particular, have many coupons.

The sales tax on general merchandise in Washington is currently 6 percent (10 percent for food/beverages). In most Virginia jurisdictions, it is 4.5 percent, and in Maryland it is 5 percent.

Mall and chain stores are usually open from 10am to 9pm Monday to Saturday and noon to 6pm on Sunday. Downtown and independent shops operate 10am to 6pm Monday to Saturday. Most shops in Georgetown stay open until 9pm.

The museum shops (see Items in Museum Stores) have merchandise at all prices. Items costing less than a dollar are lined up next to others costing several hundred dollars or more. Much of the stock in the better museum shops can be purchased nowhere else, so they are well worth a visit.

These have thinned on Washington streets as a result of heightened government security. Interesting, cheap T-shirts are still available, however, along with other souvenir clothing.

Private garage and yard sales are held throughout the city, usually on Saturday or Sunday mornings beginning at 8–9am, and bargains are still to be found. Find listings in the Washington Post and the Washington City Paper or the many online classified advertising sites.

These popular senior discount shopping days at local department stores are less common than they once were, but they still exist. If you are shopping at a mall or large chain or department store, ask at the information or customer service desk.