There are charming small town shops all through western North Carolina, and Rutherford County is no exception. From artists studios offering one-of-a-kind creations, to boutiques displaying hard to find items, to rummaging through someone's forgotten antiques, you are sure to enjoy the new sights and sounds of our beautiful location. Take in a day of shopping, then come home and relax on your new log cabin's deck and watch the sunset over the mountains while enjoying a sweet tea.

Antiques
A number of tucked-away shops will offer treasures you won't expect. Maybe it's seeing the dishes your grandmother served you with, or maybe it's the old brace and bit your grandfather used to create furniture with. Shopping and browsing through these stores is like taking a trip through time, which is what we like about antiquing. You'll find something you can't live without.

Arts & Crafts
In downtown Rutherfordton is an artists' store displaying work of the Rutherford County Visual Arts Guild. Additionally, many individual artists sell beautiful pieces from their home studios, plus you'll find exceptional shows like the Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands in Asheville, and art from around the country displayed at the Bele Chere Festival, which is held each end of July, also in Asheville. The annual Black Mountain Arts and Crafts Show brings in artists from everywhere, and a nice crowd, too.

National Chains
Stores like Best Buy, Sam's Club, or Bed, Bath & Beyond will require a little travel, but not too far. The larger cities are no more than an hour and a half drive away, and any of the above stores (and quite a few more) can be found in either Asheville, Spartanburg, Greenville, or Charlotte....Cheesecake Factory anyone? Make a day of it!

Boutiques
Charming is a great word to describe wandering through these cute stores. Downtown Rutherfordton, Spindale and Forest City (photo above) all host nice gift stores with unusual and hard-to-find items.

Clothing
Well known in the south, Belk's in Forest City is our largest clothing and department store, although the Doncaster Tanner Outlet is quite popular among both locals and tourists.

Department Stores
Many people shop Belk's Department for kitchen wares, linens, clothing, etc., while others rely on the super WalMart in Forest City. A few discount stores like Roses and BigLots are located in our commercial area of Forest City as well.

Thrift Stores
Looking for that great deal on just about anything? If you are a serious bargain hunter, there are several thrift stores to choose from. For those of you who don't know, there are large selections of books for $1. Gotta love it.