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St. Thomas lives up to its billing as a duty-free shopping destination. Even if shopping isn't your idea of how to spend a vacation, you still may want to slip in on a quiet day (check the cruise-ship listings—Monday and Sunday are usually the least crowded) to browse. Among the best buys are liquor, linens, china, crystal (most stores will ship), and jewelry. The amount of jewelry available makes this one of the few items for which comparison shopping is worth the effort. Local crafts include shell jewelry, carved calabash bowls, straw brooms, woven baskets, and dolls. Creations by local doll maker Sally George—like her school-uniformed West Indian children and Mocko Jumbie dolls—have been little goodwill ambassadors, bought by visitors around the world. Spice mixes, hot sauces, and tropical jams and jellies are other native products.
On St. Thomas, stores on Main Street in Charlotte Amalie are open weekdays and Saturday 9 to 5. The hours of the shops in the Havensight Mall (next to the cruise-ship dock) and the Crown Bay Commercial Center (next to the Crown Bay cruise-ship dock) are the same, though occasionally some stay open until 9 on Friday, depending on how many cruise ships are anchored nearby. You may also find some shops open on Sunday if cruise ships are in port. Hotel shops are usually open evenings as well.
There's no sales tax in the USVI, and you can take advantage of the $1,600 duty-free allowance per family member (remember to save your receipts). Although you can find the occasional salesclerk who will make a deal, bartering isn't the norm.
This grocery store is the best place on the island to go for fresh fruits and vegetables. There are many ethnic, vegetarian, and health-food items as well as a fresh meat area, seafood department, and extensive salad and hot food bar.
This store makes its beautiful chocolates before your eyes. Specialties include triple-chocolate rum truffles. You can find imported chocolates here as well. Both the homemade and imported delectables come in decorative boxes, so they make great gifts.
This is the Caribbean equivalent of Costco and Sam's Club and it sells everything from soup to nuts—in giant sizes and case lots—without a membership fee. The meat-and-seafood department, however, has family-size portions. There's a well-stocked fresh-produce section and a case filled with rotisserie chicken and baked goods.
This supermarket sells fresh produce, meats, and seafood. There's also an on-site bakery and deli with hot and cold prepared foods, which are the big draw here, especially for those renting villas, condos, or charter boats in the East End area.
This gourmet market near the ferry to St. John has the best deli cheeses, prepared-to-order subs, and selection of organic foods, coffees, and wines on the island. Two other locations are at Yacht Haven Grande near the cruise ship dock in Havensight and at the corner of Waterfront Drive and Espanole Strade in Charlotte Amalie.
This large, U.S.–style supermarket sells everything you need from produce to meat, including fresh seafood, a deli, and a bakery. You can find Caribbean ingredients and there's a liquor department, too.
This giant emporium carries everything from electronics to housewares in its members-only warehouse-size store. The meat, poultry, and seafood departments are especially popular. A small café in front sells pizzas, hot dogs, and the cheapest bottled water on the island—just $1 a pop.
This Caribbean chain carries stateside brands of most products—but at higher prices because of shipping costs to the islands.
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