Outer Banks Shopping

The Cotton Gin has been a coastal shopping tradition for more than 50 years. With locations in Corolla, Duck and Nags Head, this beloved local store is a favorite shopping destination for both locals and visitors. You’ll find resort fashion for men and women from fine designers like Vineyard Vines, Southern Tide, Habitat and Simply Southern. Other top accessory designers include Pandora, Vera Bradley and Spartina 449. They also offer home fashions, candles, books, garden accessories and products for the gourmet kitchen. The Cotton Gin stores sell the wines of their sister business, Sanctuary Vineyards, which is based in Currituck County. In-store tastings of their many locally grown wine varieties are available.

Established in 1984, Buxton Village Books makes its home in a Civil War-era island cottage. Sometime in the 1960s this vintage kitchen house was floated up the shoreside of Pamlico Sound from Hatteras village, hauled up the cart path from Buxton Harbor and placed in its current location along N.C. Highway 12. Owner Gee Gee Rosell has a welcoming smile and great taste in books. Prepare to spend some time browsing, as every room offers more titles than you would imagine finding in a bookstore at the beach. In addition to a surprising number of selections in the young adult and health/awareness sections, look for new releases in fiction and nonfiction along with cookbooks, local interest books, a great selection of Southern and contemporary fiction, mysteries, a well-stocked adventure section with many books recommended by Outside magazine, field guides, unique greeting cards and journals. There is truly something for everyone here. Buxton Village Books offers a great selection in a charming space and has an easy to navigate website so you can shop local when you’re not on Hatteras Island. The shop is open year-round, and the interior has recently been renovated. Ebooks, online ordering and shipping are available.

For a tasty treat, head to Big Buck’s Homemade Ice Cream. Choose from more than 50 flavors of made-from-scratch ice cream plus sorbet and soft serve. You can get any flavor made into a shake, split, sundae or float, even a brownie sundae – yum! Big Buck’s has an espresso bar and all the espresso-based coffee drinks you need to pick up your day. Handmade Belgian chocolate and fudge are made fresh daily, and they also accept custom orders for wedding favors, baby showers and other events. And don't forget the ice cream cake! They have a flavor for every occasion.