Friday, November 22, 2024

The best places to shop at the Portland International Airport, from local goods to kitschy gift shops

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Whether you’re looking for a gift to take on the plane or in search of a keepsake from your visit in Oregon, the Portland International Airport is a great place to do your shopping.

With nearly two dozen stores spread out across PDX, including several new shops pre-security, it’s shockingly easy to find a quality, local-made gift at the airport. And with a “street pricing” policy in place (not to mention the lack of sales tax), you don’t need to worry about excessive price gouging while you shop.

Stores in the airport include a few recognizable brands, such as Columbia and Pendleton, as well as outposts of local boutiques, shops and distilleries. There are also a few of those kitschier gift shops, where you can certainly find, say, a Sasquatch hoodie or a “Keep Portland Weird” bumper sticker.

For those doing some very last-minute holiday shopping, or anyone with some time to kill before a flight, these are the best places to shop at PDX:

Slippers at cc McKenzie at PDX on Nov. 7, 2024.Lizzy Acker/The Oregonian

ccMcKenzie

Bend-based boutique ccMcKenzie has been holding down a spot in Concourse C, where travelers can browse a selection of women’s clothing, shoes and accessories. The store’s offshoot, Calliope, offers personalized merchandise and gifts in Concourse E.

ccMckenzie: 5 a.m.-9 p.m. daily; Concourse C; ccmckenzie.com; Calliope: 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily; Concourse E; calliopegift.com.

–Jamie Hale

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Columbia Store at PDX on Nov. 7, 2024.Lizzy Acker/The Oregonian

Columbia Sportswear

Columbia Sportswear, the Portland-based outdoor apparel company, has long had a presence in PDX, but for the time being it is limited to a kiosk in Concourse C, where travelers can buy jackets, shirts, hats and other gear. A new storefront is expected to open in the new South Concession Hall in 2026.

5:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. daily; Concourse C; columbia.com.

–Jamie Hale

PDX Dining and Shopping

Freeland Spirits, a small-batch distillery based in Portland, now has a kiosk in the Portland International Airport, with a full storefront there planned for 2026.Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Freeland Spirits

Portland’s women-owned distillery has big plans to pour cocktails in a future bar in the North Concession Hall, slated for a 2026 opening. For now, a Freeland Spirits kiosk offers a beautiful display of colorful bottles containing their various kinds of gin and bourbon. The Forest Gin, made with chanterelle mushrooms, Douglas fir tips, salal berries and nettles, is a great way to take a piece of the Pacific Northwest with you.

7 a.m.-8 p.m. daily; North Concession Hall; freelandspirits.com.

— Jamie Hale

Oregon-themed T-shirts and other souvenirs

Hello From Portland at Portland International Airport.Veronica Nocera

Hello From Portland

Promised your friend a Portland souvenir, immediately forgot to hunt one down and now your trip is over? Hello from Portland has your back for all your last-minute gift-giving needs — and you don’t even need to go through security. The store overflows with Rose City memorabilia, everything from T-shirts and magnets to stickers, socks and shot glasses. There’s even a corner stocked with Portland-themed books for some nostalgic flight reading.

5 a.m.-10 p.m. daily; Main Terminal pre-security; hellofromportland.net.

— Veronica Nocera

Made in Oregon

Customers shop at the Made in Oregon store at Portland International Airport on Thursday, August 23, 2018. (Mark Graves/Staff)LC- Mark Graves

Made in Oregon

Always local and sometimes kitschy, the Made in Oregon store is another PDX staple, selling gifts, clothing, food and more in a storefront in Concourse C. If you’re looking to carry a slice of Oregon onto the plane, you’ll have plenty of options here.

4 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursday-Sunday, 5 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Wednesday; Concourse C; madeinoregon.com.

–Jamie Hale

Shelves of chocolate-covered items

Missionary Chocolates at Portland International Airport.Veronica Nocera

Missionary Chocolates

Missionary Chocolates is one of the airport’s newest pop-up shops, and it’s offering some of the most delicious treats. The company specializes in gluten-free, vegan chocolate truffles, but that’s far from the only thing it’s thought to envelope in chocolate. Grab a bag of chocolate-covered figs, potato chips, cinnamon gummy bears, cherries, pretzels, marshmallows — or just a classic bar.

7 a.m.-6 p.m. daily; Main Terminal pre-security; missionary-chocolates.myshopify.com.

— Veronica Nocera

Orox Leather Co. exterior at Portland International Airport

Orox Leather Co. at Portland International Airport.Veronica Nocera

Orox Leather Co.

If you want to see the look on your friends’ faces when you tell them you got your handcrafted leather bag from the airport, Orox Leather Co. is the place to go. The business is family-owned, run by fourth-generation Mexican American leather artisans. In its airport shop, you can find a vast selection of colorful leather handbags, wallets, belts, hats and more — including a few shelves filled with a range of sweet and salty snacks.

6 a.m.-8 p.m. daily; Main Terminal pre-security; oroxleather.com.

— Veronica Nocera

Greeting card store interior with card wall

Paper Epiphanies, a feminist greeting card company, opened a location at Portland International Airport in August.Veronica Nocera

Paper Epiphanies

Paper Epiphanies, PiPH for short, is already making waves as one of the first independent greeting card companies to set up shop in a U.S. airport. But also, the cards are really just that cute. Women-run and women-centric, the store offers designs for a variety of classic and overlooked situations: birthdays, friendship, death, motherhood and more. It’s also a stationery lover’s paradise, full of journals, highlighters, stickers, sketchbooks — and one of the few spots in the airport where you can snag a pen.

6 a.m.-9 p.m. daily; Main Terminal pre-security; piphpaper.com.

— Veronica Nocera

PDX Dining and Shopping

A new Pendleton storefront has opened just past security in the Portland International Airport. Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Pendleton

A new, full-fledged Pendleton store in the North Concession Hall is a welcome arrival at PDX, and comes in addition to the Oregon brand’s existing kiosk in Concourse C. The iconic blankets are sold alongside the woolen mill’s clothing and accessories, all of which make great gifts or souvenirs that scream Pacific Northwest.

North Concession Hall: 5 a.m.-8 p.m. daily; Concourse C: 6 a.m.-6 p.m. daily; pendleton-usa.com.

— Jamie Hale

PDX Dining and Shopping

Local apparel company Portland Gear has opened a kiosk in the Portland International Airport, with a full storefront planned for 2026. Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Portland Gear

From online brand to popular retailer, Portland Gear has built off its simple (but now instantly recognizable) logo and landed a coveted space at PDX. The brand has a kiosk in the new North Concession Hall, with plans to open a full storefront in 2026. There, travelers can buy its popular branded caps and shirts, as well as its new line of colorful, “weather-proof” backpacks – in the rainy season, they might be a great purchase for those just getting off the plane in Portland.

6 a.m.-5 p.m. daily; North Concession Hall; portlandgear.com.

— Jamie Hale

PDX dining and shopping

Powell’s Books at Portland International Airport, Nov. 7, 2024.Lizzy Acker/The Oregonian

Powell’s Books

The storefront area for Powell’s is still in the build-out stage, so it currently is more of a large kiosk of books and gifts than a full store. Still, it’s the perfect place to grab a novel for your flight or a stuffed animal for your niece when you arrive. And, if you’re a visitor, this shop is a nice little taste of the wonder you can find on West Burnside Avenue at Powell’s City of Books. The full 1,940 square foot retail space is set to open in 2026.

6 a.m.-7 p.m. daily; South Concession Hall; powells.com.

— Lizzy Acker

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Hat at Straightaway Cocktails at PDX on Nov. 7, 2024.Lizzy Acker/The Oregonian

Straightaway Cocktails

Straightaway Cocktails may not have a full storefront area yet, but that isn’t stopping the little canned cocktail shop from serving up creative and delicious cocktails as well as some adorable gifts. (Don’t sleep on the cute denim dad hat with a cocktail sword-speared cherry embroidered on the front.) If you have the time, and the desire, spend $20 and get a cocktail taster flight served with local Miss Hannah’s popcorn. Or grab a four-pack of cans to take with you.

7 a.m.-8 p.m. daily; South Concession Hall, straightawaycocktails.com.

— Lizzy Acker

PDX Dining and Shopping

Steven Smith Teamaker has opened a kiosk in the Portland International Airport, with a full storefront planned for 2026. Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Steven Smith Teamaker

Steven Smith Teamaker, the Portland-based tea company, has a kiosk and small tea bar in the North Concession Hall as it works to open a full storefront in 2026. Travelers can purchase boxes of tea to take home, or tea on tap to go. The choose-your-own sampler pack makes a nice souvenir, with so many herbal and caffeinated teas to try.

5 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday; North Concession Hall; smithtea.com.

— Jamie Hale

Tender Loving Empire

Tender Loving Empire, a record label and gift shop chain based in Portland, is a great addition to the airport shopping scene, selling locally made gifts and music in two locations. It’s a great spot to find a small gift, like a bud vase, keychain, candle or beanie.

5 a.m.-7 p.m. daily; Concourse D; 5 a.m.-10 p.m. daily; Concourse E; tenderlovingempire.com.

–Jamie Hale

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Timberline store at PDX on Nov. 7, 2024.Lizzy Acker/The Oregonian

Timberline

For most Oregonians, Timberline is a place far from the airport, up on the slopes of Mount Hood. However, the historic lodge also has a shop in PDX, where it sells a well-curated assortment of goods including food, ceramics and clothing from local brands and makers.

7 a.m.-7 p.m. daily; Concourse C; timberlinelodge.com.

–Jamie Hale

Vino Volo

Vino Volo is the go-to wine shop in PDX, with a good selection of wines from Oregon and around the world. You can grab a bottle to go or stay for a glass (or a whole flight). A simple menu offers charcuterie and sandwiches, as well as draft beer.

10 a.m.-8 p.m. daily; Concourse C; vinovolo.com.

–Jamie Hale

Westward Whiskey

Oregon distillery Westward Whiskey specializes in scratch-made spirits brewed with locally malted barley and ale yeast, distilled like a single malt and aged in American oak barrels. Their whiskey can be found across Portland, but travelers can also stop by their two PDX storefronts.

7 a.m.-10 p.m. daily; Concourse C; 7 a.m.-7 p.m. daily; Concourse E; westwardwhiskey.com.

–Jamie Hale

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