The one essential purchase in San Luis Potosí is a Santa María rebozo — the silk-and-cotton shawl woven in the nearby town of Santa María del Río to a fineness that lets the cloth pass through a wedding ring. The Mercado Hidalgo carries them, as does the government craft store La Casa del Artesano on Jardín Colón. Also local: queso de tuna (the prickly pear candy) and Constanzo chocolates, a city institution with shops throughout the historic centre.
For general Mexican crafts — talavera pottery, textiles, hammered tin — Fonart on Calle Morelos is a reliable government-run shop with fixed and fair prices. The streets around the Plaza de Armas have independent craft and jewellery shops; the city's proximity to silver-mining country means silverwork is abundant, though quality varies.
The Mercado República is a working market rather than a craft showcase but has stalls selling clothing, household goods, and inexpensive local produce.