Georgetown has always been the best place to shop in DC. High-end shops for the most part, although chain stores such as Gap (1258 Wisconsin Ave NW) are well- represented. Women are the prime target; Sephora (3065 M St NW), Kate Spade (3061 M St NW), Betsey Johnson (1321 Wisconsin Ave NW), and French Connection (1229 Wisconsin Ave NW) are among the selections. All the best beauty salons are located here; Ilo Day Spa (1637 Wisconsin Ave NW) and Okyo Beauty Salon (2903 M St NW). Men's shops include Diesel (1249 Wisconsin Ave NW) and Sherman Pickey (1647 Wisconsin Ave NW). Art lovers will love traipsing in and out of galleries, like the Anton Gallery (2108 R St NW) or Burton Marinkovich Fine Art (1506 21st St NW), scattered throughout the Dupont Circle neighbourhood, but anyone might enjoy browsing in its eclectic shops, including Kramerbooks & Afterwords Café (1517 Connecticut Ave NW), Secondi (1702 Connecticut Ave NW), or Beadazzled (1507 Connecticut Ave NW).

More stores are opening all the time in the downtown area near the MCI Centre, most of them either art galleries, like Zenith (413 7th St. NW) or home furnishings and gift stores: Apartment Zero (406 7th St NW), Vega (819 7th St NW), and Artifactory (641 Indiana Ave NW), to name three. The part of downtown that stretches along Connecticut Avenue south of Dupont Circle attracts office workers on lunch breaks to Thomas Pink (1127 Connecticut Ave NW), the high fashion Rizik Brothers (1100 Connecticut Ave NW), and Burberry (1155 Connecticut Ave NW), among others.