The Country Club Plaza is Kansas City's main upscale shopping district, with a mix of national brands and a few independent shops in Spanish Colonial Revival buildings. It is pleasant to walk even without buying anything.
For independent retail, the Crossroads Arts District has galleries, vintage shops, and design-oriented stores. Westport has vintage clothing stores, record shops, and independent booksellers. Brookside has a compact strip of specialty food and gift shops.
The River Market international grocery stores — particularly the Hong Kong Supermarket and the African and Caribbean grocers in the City Market area — are excellent for food shopping, with produce and ingredients unavailable elsewhere in the city.