The Southwest's Largest Retail Destination Is A Chic Arizona Plaza With Luxury Shops And Stylish Restaurants

Shopping malls are a great idea in the Arizona desert. They're clean, climate-controlled, and protect you from the blazing sun. Even in this era of click-based consumerism, the Greater Phoenix area has several old-school shopping malls, such as Tempe Marketplace, Desert Ridge Marketplace, and Biltmore Fashion Park.

Then there's Scottsdale Fashion Square, the largest shopping mall in the Southwest, at 1.9 million square feet of floor space. The design reflects its arid surroundings: Large skylights reveal the clear blue skies over Scottsdale. The floors and corridors maintain a sandy color palette, matching the Sonoran Desert just outside its walls. Palm trees and desert flora rise all around the complex's perimeter.

And true to Scottsdale's high-class reputation, these 200 stores and restaurants specialize in luxury retail, along with 30-plus eateries. The list of venerated chains includes Dolce & Gabbana, Jimmy Choo, and Saint Laurent. If you're the type to whip out a Gold Card and splurge on a whim, you could walk into Polestar on the first level and buy yourself an electric liftback vehicle, then drop into Touro Luggage on the upper level for a matching travel set. Not only is Fashion Square enormous, but a 2025 USA Today poll also ranked it one of the best malls in the country. The setting makes sense: Scottsdale is one of Arizona's five wealthiest suburbs worth visiting, and its affluence is on full display at Fashion Square.

Scottsdale is sometimes referred to as the "Beverly Hills of the Southwest," as well as the "Golf Capital of Arizona," thanks to its 200-plus scenic golf courses. This reputation might scare off some vacationers who just want to chill out by the hotel pool and savor spicy Southwestern meals, but remember — while Fashion Square certainly has a high-class appeal, it's also air-conditioned, ADA-compliant, and free to stroll around for some window shopping. You'll need a car (or a ride) to get there, but the complex is just a 20-minute drive from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, and the mall is surrounded by hotels and resorts. (Fashion Square has many partnerships with local accommodations, and visitors can often score special packages.) The mall is famous for its top-shelf brands, but you'll find plenty of classic mall mainstays as well, such as Macy's, Nordstrom, and Dick's Sporting Goods.

Greater Phoenix boasts a cosmopolitan dining scene, and Fashion Square reflects this diversity in its global chains and sit-down dining. While fans of fast-casual will find the usual Chipotle, Shake Shack, and Panda Express, others can order sushi rolls and poké bowls at Edo Japanese Grill or savor a well-prepared Italian meal at Élephante. Punctuate your visit with a movie at Harkins Theatres, a popular Western U.S. cinema chain. Fashion Square is just one of Scottsdale's many attractions — it's no wonder the city's fun and high quality of life earned it the award of 2025's best place to retire in America.