The main downtown shopping is along Fourth and Fifth Avenues, anchored by the Fifth Avenue Mall (Nordstrom and around fifty other shops) on Fifth and C Street. For Alaskan-made goods, look for the silver hand sticker on items in shops along Fourth Avenue — it certifies a piece was made by an Alaska Native artist. The Alaska Native Heritage Center gift shop also has the best selection of authentic work in the city.
Outdoor gear is the city's other strength. REI has a flagship store on Northern Lights Boulevard; AMH (Alaska Mountaineering and Hiking) on Spenard Road carries serious equipment for backcountry trips and stocks the best maps and books. The state's signature outdoor brand, Cabela's-equivalent Big Ray's, has been outfitting Alaskans since 1947.
For groceries, sourdough bread, smoked salmon, and other take-home Alaskan food, the Saturday Market (Spring through September) in the parking lot on West 3rd Avenue is the best one-stop. Indian Valley Meats sells reindeer sausage and smoked salmon by mail order around the country.