Historic Savage Mill, a hot spot for antiques in teh Baltimore-Washington area, also offers a variety of shops, stalls, galleries and working artists' studios.

Shoppers at The Mall in Columbia will probably find whatever they need —? because there are more than 1.3 million square feet of retail space to search for it!
In 1999, a new wing containing some 40 new stores including Nordstrom was added. In 2000, L.L. Bean opened adjacent to the mall. It was the first store on the mall’s new “plaza” area and only the third retail location for the Maine-based outdoors catalog company. In 2001, the new restaurant plaza was added. It now features P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, Champps Restaurant & Bar, Uno Chicago Grill and the Cheesecake Factory.
By the end of 2003, the mall added a 14-screen theater complex by AMC, several new stores and an expanded Eddie Bauer. Owned and managed by an affiliate of The Rouse Co., the mall is the county’s largest retail center and part of the central hub of downtown Columbia.
In 2005, the mall added several stores including Kay Jewelers, Bakers Shoes and Club Libby Lu.
The mall is home to more than 200 stores, including Restoration Hardware, J. Crew andfive major department stores: Nordstrom, Lord & Taylor, Hecht’s, JCPenney and Sears. Shoppers can also rest and restore their energy with fare from 18 food court restaurants.
The county is also home to several other not-to-be-missed major shopping areas.
- One of the most recent additions is Long Gate Shopping Center in Ellicott City, which includes Barnes & Noble Book­sellers, Linens’n Things, Kohl’s and Michaels Crafts.
- Another relative newcomer, Columbia Crossing off Route 175, is home to Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts, Pier 1 Imports, Borders, Target and other stores. In 2002, Expo Design Center opened at Columbia Crossing. The 91,000-square-foot facility offers three businesses under one roof a store with the latest products for decorating and remodeling, a design center and a construction company for project management and installation services.
- Nearby Snowden Center has Michaels Crafts, Bed Bath & Beyond and discount shopping including BJ’s, Best Buy and Marshalls.
- Each village in the city of Columbia has its own conveniently located village center, with supermarkets, retail specialty stores and services like dry cleaners, shoe repairs, card shops, tailors and more.
- Still another shopping mecca in the county is Route 40, which is lined with shopping centers and individual retailers selling everything from tires to freshly baked bread. Three of the
largest centers are Normandy Center, Chatham Station and
Enchanted Forest.
- Lotte Plaza, just off the intersection of routes 40 and 29, houses a vast complex of Korean stores that sell food, furniture, household goods, clothing, electronics, books, music and more.
- Those who love handmade pottery will find the county has several unique sources, including People’s Pottery at the Columbia mall, Long Reach Art Center in Columbia, ArtCraft Collection at Savage Mill, Greenbridge Pottery in Dayton and El Porton in Historic Ellicott City.
- Clarksville, especially on Route 108, is home to several new shopping areas including River Hill Village Center, Clarksville Square and Clarksville Station, which houses, among other retailers, Roots, a huge health-food market, and its sister store, Nest, which opened in 2003 and sells organic products and housewares. The owners of Roots and Nest, Jeff Kaufman and Jody Cutler, opened a vegetarian restaurant, Great Sage, last year.
- Dobbin Station, located at the corner of Dobbin Road and Old Dobbin Lane, opened in 2004. Among other businesses it includes Bank of America, Noodles & Co., Petco and Party City.