Shopping
By Tom Laskin

Madison’s progressive reputation might suggest that the high-minded locals are so busy trying to free Tibet that they can’t be bothered to shop for anything more than food and shelter. But that’s hardly the case. Hilldale’s walkable new "main street" configuration keeps drawing more and more foot traffic with every month. Even in uncertain economic times, State Street is packed every weekend. And is it my imagination, or is the whole town absolutely giddy about the new Costco that’s opening out in Middleton?

Yup, shopping’s the American way of life around here, too.

Can’t stand mainstream consumerism? Then grab a sustainably produced hemp shirt, a vacuum pack of tofu baloney or a purse made from recycled billboards, and help save the planet. All three are available right here in Madison. This is a progressive shopper’s paradise, after all.

Place to buy CDs

1. B-Side
2. Exclusive Company
3. Mad City Music Exchange

Face it, the CD is on its way out. But if you’ve ever lovingly combed through rack after rack of the things during a free hour, you understand the attraction of B Side. The proprietors shoehorn a heckuva lot of jazz, pop, rock, country and dance music into their tiny space, and the opinionated employees don’t hesitate to make a recommendation.

Place to buy vinyl

1. Mad City Music Exchange
2. B-Side
3. Strictly Discs

Mad City Music Exchange has a nice selection of new vinyl, but the store really excels at bringing in hard-to-find used albums that you’d be hard pressed to find at a well-stocked record convention. B Side and Strictly Discs’ allegiance to vinyl is also admirable.

Bike shop

1. Budget Bicycles
2. TIE: Williamson Bicycle Works and Revolution Cycles
3. Machinery Row

With mile after mile of well-maintained bike paths to choose from, Madison really is a cyclist’s paradise, and Budget Bicycles’ multiple locations on Regent Street offer options for novice riders and sophisticated pedalers alike. Willy Street Bikes and Revolution Cycle have plenty of adherents, but couldn’t touch Budget’s vote totals.

Sustainable/green goods

1. Willy Street Co-op
2. "Farmer’s markets"
3. TIE: Satara and Hempen Goods

Locavores like to fill their baskets at the Willy Street Co-op, where the sources of its fresh fruits and vegetables are clearly labeled. Buying direct from the producer is also a way to go — "Farmers’ Markets" came in second. When you’re not shopping for food, other sustainable stuff is to be had at home-goods emporium Satara on the west side and Hempen Goods on the east.

Car dealer

1. Zimbrick
2. Smart Motors
3. Don Miller

Coveting a brand spanking new Honda? A Saturn? A Beemer? A Buick? Then chances are you’ll be strolling through one of Zimbrick’s many showrooms. But since Zimbrick doesn’t sell Toyotas, many shoppers head to runner-up Smart Motors for a gas-miserly Prius, Scion or Matrix.

Clothing boutique, men’s

1. Jazzman
2. Context
3. Bill Paul Studio

Sartorially conscious fellas with a metropolitan sense of style have long preferred Jazzman’s fashionable threads. The store has ruled this category for as long as anyone can remember. And unless Barack Obama’s narrow-cut business suits become all the rage, they’ll probably dominate it next year, too. King Street’s hip Context came in second, and Monroe Street’s urbane Bill Paul Studio, third.

Clothing boutique, women’s

1. Rupert Cornelius
2. Karen & Co./Sassafras
3. A Stone’s Throw

Rupert Cornelius, another Madison shopping tradition, is an excellent choice for natural fibers, fair trade clothing and comfortable fashions. Runner up Karen & Co./Sassafras isn’t afraid of a little sass. Monroe Street’s A Stone’s Throw arrives at third.

Kids store

1. Capital Kids
2. Happy Bambino
3. Wild Child

Children prowling the Square with Mom, Dad and Grammy during Farmers’ Market inevitably gravitate to Capitol Kids, a brightly lit playground stocked with everything from fun clothing to unique toys and science kits. Runner-up Happy Bambino focuses on pregnancy and early parenting.

New furniture store

1. Rubins
2. Steinhafels
3. Century House

Rubins various outlets are a major presence in our surprisingly limited furniture market. Rubins consists of a lifestyle specialty store on the west side; a large flagship store downtown and an east-side clearance store that has a little bit of everything. Runner-up Steinhafels also gets plenty of business for its acres of bedroom sets and sofas.

Place to buy outdoor gear

1. REI
2. Fontana
3. Gander Mountain

A full array of camping supplies and outdoor gear is crammed into REI’s big west-side store. Plus, if you’re on the lookout for a canoe or a mountain bike, they can also hook you up. Special bonus: co-op members get small discounts as well as a dividend check at the end of the year.

Garden supplies

1. Jung Garden Centers
2. Johannsen’s Garden Center
3. The Bruce Company

Much like taverns, every garden center and greenhouse appeals to a different kind of shopper. Jung’s outlets carry attractive objects for patios and front porches; however, they specialize in seeds, plants, shrubs, trees and gardening supplies and good advice.

Liquor store

1. Star Liquor
2. Woodman’s
3. Steve’s

Star Liquor will sell you a six-pack of humble domestic beer, and God bless ’em for that. But its most devoted clientele comes in for the discerning selection of fine wines and spirits. Woodman’s equally sprawling liquor department is a deserving runner-up here.

Natural food store

1. Willy Street Co-op
2. Whole Foods
3. Trader Joe’s

Isthmus readers swear by Willy Street Co-op’s creative deli case and numerous organic products. It’s simply the best homegrown option around when it comes to natural foods. Whole Foods came in a distant second this year. But its gargantuan new Hilldale location could give it a big bump when it finally rises from the dirt.

Grocery store

1. Woodman’s
2. Willy Street Co-op
3. Jenifer Street Market

It’s easy to get lost in Woodman’s sprawling aisles, which overflow with every comestible imaginable. Foreign foods, a football field’s worth of fruit and veggies, and case after case of frozen items make this supermarket a power spot for bargain-conscious shoppers.

Gift shop

1. Little Luxuries
2. Pop Deluxe
3. Orange Tree Imports

Longtime favorite Little Luxuries moved a block further down State Street this year into the old Puzzlebox space, but it’s lost none of its quirky charm. It brought along all the hair doodads, sushi trays and posh bath beads, too. Second-place Pop Deluxe’s love affair with things mod, googie and kooky keeps you popping in to see what’s new there.

Vintage/thrift

1. St. Vincent de Paul
2. Goodwill
3. TIE: Savers and Epoch

Need to outfit your closet or entire apartment on the cheap? The St. Vincent de Paul thrift stores are the place to do it. Judging from the enormous vote totals St. Vinny’s racked up, every A-line dress, dented double boiler and glass knick-knack is precious to someone. Goodwill, in a similar line, places second; vintage shop Epoch weeds out the dreck for you before putting its wares on sale in its new State Street digs.

Pet supplier

1. MadCat Pet Supplies
2. Mounds Pet Food Warehouse
3. Petsmart

Guess we’re cat people here in Madison. MadCat’s feline-friendly aisles aren’t bereft of supplies for other kinds of pets, but Tabby, Tiger and Sheba are treated like royalty here. Mounds’ tradition of handing out free candy bars to pet lovers may be popular, but it wasn’t enough to snag the top spot in the ’08 poll.

Jewelry

1. Goodman’s
2. Burnie’s Rock Shop
3. Art Gecko

Traditional notions of jewelry — diamonds, wedding bands and Swiss watches — are just some of the booty glimmering inside Goodman’s neatly arranged cases. Readers also like East Johnson Street’s Burnie’s Rock Shop for its precious, semiprecious and fossilized creations.

Body art/piercing

1. Capital City tattoo
2. Steve’s Tattoo
3. Blue Lotus Tattoo

Capital City Tattoo is your favorite place to get inked in Madison. Its comfortable interior design will put most first-timers at ease, and its artists are second to none. Need a new coif? The Williamson Street shop now shares space with a hair emporium. Runner-up Steve’s Tattoo is the grandaddy of ’em all hereabouts.

Chocolates

1. Gail Ambrosius
2. Candinas
3. Nilda Chocolates

Gail Ambrosius’ ambitious chocolate creations tempt connoisseurs with a keen interest in terroir and those looking for the darkest, richest truffle they can find. For supernal filled chocolates, readers look to runner-up Candinas. Underdog Nilda’s Chocolates, at North and Johnson streets on the east side, makes a strong showing in third.

Video store

1. Four Star Video Heaven
2. Bongo Video
3. Blockbuster

Four Star Video Heaven is a downtown stalwart that deserves all the praise it gets. Foreign films, hard-to-find titles, gay cinema, documentaries, animated work — they have all of ’em.

Used bookstore

1. Half Price Books
2. Frugal Muse
3. Paul’s Bookstore

Both favorite Half-Price books and runner-up Frugal Muse also sell new books, as well as CDs, some vinyl LPs and cards. Still, if you need a used copy of the Physicians Desk Reference or an edition of Nancy Drew wherein she still drives a roadster, you’re probably in luck.

New bookstore

1. Borders
2. Barnes & Noble
3. A Room of One’s Own

Borders and distant runner-up Barnes & Noble offer music CDs, DVDs, magazines, gifts, espresso drinks and more along with row after row of books. The Madison stores aren’t much different from what you’ll find in other towns, which says a lot about how much the genteel business of book selling has changed over the last couple decades. However, indie bookseller A Room of One’s Own takes third.