Southern Maine Shopping Review
The Challenge of Shopping with a $75.00 Gift Certificate at the Kittery Trading Post

Article and photo by Eric H. (posted on 9/24/07)

Ah, the great indoors!

The moment we stepped into the shopping mall-size Kittery Trading Post in Kittery, Maine, we knew that spending a whole day and a fortune were strong possibilities at this Disneyland for the outdoor enthusiast. The three levels of outdoor recreational equipment, clothing and footwear absolutely leveled us with excitement and worry at the same time, since we only had an hour to utilize a $75.00 gift certificate given to us by a very thoughtful brother for our 10th year anniversary. The prospects of completing this fascinating retail mission in a short time was about as likely as touring the Maine seacoast in an hour.

With a quick scan of the Kittery Trading Post's open floor plan, we saw departments for sportswear, outerwear, accessories, footwear, unique Maine-made gifts for "home and hearth," camping hiking, rock climbing, winter and water sports, shooting sports (guns), and freshwater or saltwater fishing equipment.

We took the "Cliff Notes" approach, ignoring the areas of little interest and concentrating on the "bottom line." Dodging some seemingly brain-dead shoppers standing in the middle of the isles, talking on their cell phones, and generally not paying attention to the world around them proved to be a challenge, but we made it through this Grand Central Station of shopping.

Not all the prices were agreeable with us, but we were able to find a few discount racks where we purchased fall sweatshirt jackets. he quality of these garments and others looked built to last, unlike some of the discount super stores. We also bought a state-of-the-art pedometer, which if we used in the store, would have revealed maybe six or seven miles of walking the three levels.

The hired help was quite pleasant and knowledgeable, thus cutting a few more minutes off our journey across what seemed like the entire southern New Hampshire region.

Our hour in the Kittery Trading Post proved to be an interesting experience. We'll probably return, looking again for the best deals, and more importantly enjoying the unique environment that is sort of like an L.L. Bean on steroids. That's a compliment, as the Kittery Trading Post might come in very handy for the holiday season, our increasing physical fitness and outdoor interests, and the chance to enjoy the great indoors.

Visit the Kittery Outdoor Trading Post Web Site