Find Your Happy Place In Connecticut’s Best Shopping Spots

Do you feel like you're in a better mood after you buy a new pair of shoes or that new coffee maker you've had your eye on? Me too. Quite a few of us blow off steam or battle depression with retail therapy.

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According to the experts, making a 'comfort buy' can restore a sense of control over our environment. The simple act of treating ourselves to a new product or service always helps to brighten my mood.

The Best 'Retail Therapy' Shopping Destinations Across Connecticut

One of my favorite destinations for retail therapy for the past five years is Norwalk's SoNo Collection. It's the newest 'mall' in Connecticut, it opened it's doors to the public just before we all became aware of Covid, and although most of Connecticut's malls struggle with empty storefronts and a lack of foot traffic Sono has maintained their 80-90% occupancy rate of mid-to high-end retailers.

West Hartford has two areas of town where retail is king, first the area around the Westfarms Mall, and the second thriving area of town is the Lasalle Road/Farmington Ave/Blue Back Square area of town. Each is filled with unique retail shops and restaurants.

Connecticut is home to two world-class resort casino destinations - Foxwoods and mohegan Sun, and both feature a nice selection of retail shopping. Foxwoods has the upper hand here with the Tanger Factory Outlets, while Mohegan Sun features Connecticut's premiere Tesla dealership.

The Post Road in Orange/Milford is also a great place to find unique stores and shops, Rt. 1 itself is absolutely packed with shops all the way from Greenwich to basically Madison and Old Saybrook.