114 GOODS & SERVICES BEST RETAIL FRENZY BUC-EE’S OPENING 1001 N. BULLARD AVE., GOODYEAR 979-238-6390 BUC-EES.COM “Oh, that scar, Chief? Tattoo, got it removed. It said, ‘The Goodyear Buc-ee’s.’ What happened? Massive gas station slammed into our city. More like a retail supercenter with immaculate bathrooms. They had just deliv- ered the beaver nuggets. A thousand folks lined up before dawn, doors opened just before 6 a.m. Pure chaos. Very first light, Chief, Buc-ee fanatics come shovin’. We formed ourselves into tight groups, hopin’ for a trucker hat, maybe a sticker. But then someone’d start poundin’ and hollerin’: ‘Fresh brisket on the board!’ And they would start pushing and cutting the line. They’d been camping and up all night, just plowing their way through. By the end of that first dawn, lost a hundred bucks. Nobody knows how many customers. Maybe 41,000? They averaged 1,700 an hour. Who can say how many beaver nuggets? Maybe a million. Finally we got to the checkout line, and that was the time I was most frightened, waitin’ for my turn. I’ll never go to Buc-ee’s again. So 1,000 people went in at dawn and 41,000 came out by the end of the day. Beaver took them all. June the 22nd, 2026. Anyway, we delivered the story.” i i i BEST BOUTIQUE FRANCES 10 W. CAMELBACK ROAD, SUITE A 602-279-5467 SHOPFRANCESBOUTIQUE.COM The ideal boutique is the one where you walk around needing nothing but wanting to buy everything. Frances is that store. Pop into their cute storefront tucked away at the corner of Camelback Road and Central Avenue when you need a gift for your picky mother-in-law. We promise she’ll be impressed with the durability and beauty of the reversible nylon tote. Or maybe you’re feeling down and in need of a pick-me-up. Go to Frances for some retail therapy and buy yourself a new bowtie pasta claw clip for your hair — you won’t regret it. Every item for sale, whether it’s jewelry or clothing, modern chic or vintage style, is high quality with a little bit of quirk, perfect for the people in your life who appreciate the good stuff. i i i BEST WOMEN’S CLOTHING BUNKY BOUTIQUE 1001 N. CENTRAL AVE., #125 602-252-1323 BUNKYBOUTIQUE.COM The amount of treasures found at Bunky Boutique doesn’t seem like it should fit inside this small downtown Phoenix shop. The TARDIS-like effect owes to the expert curation that has made Bunky a Phoenix mainstay. Along with women’s clothing, Bunky sells jewelry, hats, keychains, hair clips, stickers, kids’ clothes, menswear, artwork, candles and other generally inter- esting trinkets. Stop by to pick out a desert- themed T-shirt, a cute pair of linen pants, some colorful new specs and a breezy sunhat for yourself, and snag gifts for the family while you’re at it. An outfit from Bunky is sure to earn you compliments all day. If you’re just visiting or want to take a local gift on your travels, stop by the Bunky outpost in Sky Harbor’s Terminal 4. i i i BEST MEN’S CLOTHING HERSCHEDE 5068 N. CENTRAL AVE. 602-689-2588 HERSCHEDE.SHOP When longtime Valley resident and Brophy graduate Eric Herschede brought his mens- wear experiment to life earlier this year, Phoenix gained a new shrine to swanky-yet- simple style. No shouting colors, no piped-in urgency — just tailored shirts and smart, relaxed blazers. The vibe inside matches the selection. Herschede’s store is so pared down that it borders on monastic, and that restraint is the key. Instead of chasing trend cycles, Herschede bets on pieces built to outlast whatever’s popular this week. He admits that he resists the urge to optimize in favor of honing his stylistic instincts. But what makes the store such a bright new light on the scene is how accessible Herschede makes tailoring. At a recent happy hour, menswear designer Georg Roth himself poured drinks and talked hemlines with customers. That’s the real differentiator — here’s a store where it’s fun to spend an afternoon. BEST PLACE FOR ALT FASHION ROCKET A GO-GO 15 E. SOUTHERN AVE., TEMPE 480-434-4433 ROCKETAGOGO.COM Celebrating its 15th anniversary in October, Rocket A Go-Go is the go-to HQ for anyone wishing to dress with an edge. Its selection of rock and horror movie T-shirts alone is a trea- sure trove; look for classics like Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, Ramones, Slipknot, “Saw” and dozens of others along with hipster men’s button-downs and Hawaiian shirts. Peruse racks upon racks of tops — bustiers, frilly crops, you name it — and dresses in sizes up to 3X, most of which are very gently preowned and all of which will turn heads. Pinup styles, goth classics and mod prints are here, as are some fit for a John Waters screening (the polka dot skirt with pink flamingos in partic- ular). They also stock skull jewelry, coffin- shaped backpacks, crocheted items and platform shoes and boots. This is a destination for finding a novel rave outfit, stage wear or something different for Pride. i i i BEST PLACE FOR MODERN WESTERN STYLE CAVE & POST TRADING CO. 509 W. MCDOWELL ROAD, #102 602-931-0090 CAVEANDPOST.COM When you take a man clothes shopping and he leaves saying, “If I won the lottery, I’d replace my entire wardrobe there,” you know the store hit the mark. Cave & Post is a whole vibe for guys who want to be casual but upscale and who probably love to rock. (A number of musi- cians have stopped here while in town). It sells an effortlessly hip, subtly Southwestern look without a hint of kitsch. Owners Patrick and Mary Burch curate American-made legacy brands and those with a story, all of which are extremely well-made, like Hiroshi Kato, Howler Bros., RRL, Red Wing, Shinola and West Major, the homegrown modern Western shirt line with a workshop upstairs from the showroom. Hats, eyewear, vintage turquoise jewelry, guitars, fragrances, books, art, candles and assorted treasures round out the inven- tory, along with a concise section of feminine Americana apparel like floofy dresses that pair with boots, fun button-downs and slouchy sweaters. BEST RETAIL VERSION OF ’THE HUNGER GAMES’ LAST CHANCE 1919 E. CAMELBACK ROAD 602-248-2843 STORES.NORDSTROMRACK.COM/US/AZ/ PHOENIX/1919-E-CAMELBACK-RD Once you enter Last Chance, you’ll feel it in your blood. The hunt is on — and that venture is not for the easily overwhelmed. With the closure of the only other Last Chance clearance store in the entire country, an unmarked corner of Camelback Colon- nade makes Phoenix a secret capital of bargain retail hunting. Most of what’s on the racks is chaos, items strewn messily about by treasure hunters faster than staff can refold them. This is where Nordstrom exiles its damaged, discontinued and doomed merchandise, priced at a fraction of the orig- inal tag. We’re talking $700 gowns marked down to $120, Prada wedges for $89 or a barely worn Valentino bag for a song. There’s simply no other place like it — for deals or for the everyone-for-themselves anarchy. i i i BEST COSTUME SHOP EVIL IZZY’S HAUNTED EMPORIUM 4239 W. THUNDERBIRD ROAD, SUITE B 480-306-4888 EVILIZZYS.COM There’s no masking the truth: Ever since inde- pendent costume stores like Easley’s Fun Shop began dying off, there’s been a void of locally owned retailers where you can scare up a getup. Evil Izzy’s is among the Valley’s few homegrown alternatives to corporate- backed options like Spirit Halloween. The family-owned north Phoenix horror boutique, run by Jeremy Veal and his daughter Izzy, has fun and freaky fashion fits for Halloween, cosplay or whenever the dress code calls for dressing up. While the selection skews largely spooky, a wide variety of super- hero, sci-fi and other costumes for adults and kids haunt the racks. Need a mask? See the wall lined with latex faces modeled after Art the Clown, Alice Cooper and other famous fiends along with fanciful masquerade-style options. Izzy’s also stocks the extras to complete your look. Props and accessories galore (fake chainsaws, anyone?). Hats and wigs. Ben Nye makeup and Manic Panic. Bargains can also be had on the regular, as Veal frequently conjures up discounts with appropriately goofy hooks. During Spider- Man Saturday in July, for instance, anyone wearing a shirt with the wall-crawler got 10% off. Beat that, Spirit Halloween.
