Those moving to Juneau will find nearly all the essentials they need in local grocery and retail stores that differ little from those in the Lower 48. But those accustomed to huge mega-mall stores such as Border's Books may have to scale back their expectations. And the pickings vary much more widely as one moves into the smaller communities of Southeast Alaska, including a lack of some essentials.

What follows is a general guide to Juneau's largest stores and major shopping areas. Specialized stores - often offering certain types of clothing, home supplies and other goods not found in the major malls and chain stores - are scattered all over town, including the downtown area where local merchants are constantly engaged in "shop local" efforts to counter the notion only tourist items are sold there.

Because goods have to to be brought into Juneau by ship or air, the price of everything from Big Macs to bricks are generally higher than the Lower 48 - and sometimes higher than smaller Alaskan communities to the south that are closer to Seattle. But prices are nowhere near those in some Bush communities, where a loaf of white bread can cost $6 and fresh produce often simply isn't available.

Groceries for a family of four with two children between the ages of 6 and 11 cost an average of $106.10, according to a study done in December of 2003 by the Cooperative Extension Service at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The same groceries cost $106.65 in Anchorage, $94.47 in Portland, Ore., and $154.77 in the tiny Southeast town of Haines. The survey also found a piece of lumber costing $3.42 in Juneau costs $2.98 in Anchorage, $2.52 in Portland - and a whopping $4.86 in the remote Bush community of Bethel.

Anyone discouraged about living in Alaska because of the higher prices should keep in mind all residents who have been here at least a full calendar year are eligible for the annual Permanent Fund Dividend checks that are issued based on earnings from the state's oil-related income. These have topped $1,000 per person in recent years, offsetting at least some of Alaska's higher costs. Also, there is no state income tax, although a state budget shortfall constantly has politicians talking about implementing some sort of tax to help address the situation.

Shopping locations

Most of Juneau's major shopping areas are in or near the Mendenhall Valley several miles north of downtown.

Downtown merchants complain large-scale tourism has driven locals away from crowded downtown streets, and once-thriving businesses offering staples such as hardware and clothing have been replaced by t-shirt and souvenir shops. The opening of large chain stores such as Fred Meyer and Costco during the past two decades has further drained business from downtown.

Fair characterization or not, the fact is most of the roughly 1 million tourists that visit Juneau each summer are cruise passengers who wander through and start tours on the city's downtown streets. The congestion eases considerably even a few blocks from the main tourist streets, where downtown stores that do offer staples - including groceries and a hardware store - can be found.

The first major shopping area leaving downtown is a mostly industrial section found in Lemon Creek, about three miles north of downtown. A Costco warehouse, a number of auto-related businesses and a few general retail stores are located here. Many may take a bit of searching to find, since they are generally not visible from Egan Drive.

About eight to nine miles from downtown begins a mile-long stretch of stores on both sides of Egan Drive in the Mendenhall Valley that represent most of Juneau's shopping offerings. These include three major grocery stores, two small malls, hardware stores, auto dealerships and other businesses.

About a mile or so further on, on the left side of Egan Drive, is another industrial section where building supplies, hardware and similar goods can be found. There are very few offerings beyond this on Egan Drive and in the residential sections of the Mendenhall Valley.

Who's selling what and where

Juneau's has six grocery stores, each with one or more distinctive features. For those just looking to do their shopping at the nearest location, generally they should find any of them suited to their needs. All have bakeries and delis, and most are willing to place orders for special items not carried in stock and will ship orders to remote locations throughout the region.

Downtown's largest grocery store is the regionally owned Alaskan and Proud, abbreviated in their signs and advertising logo to A&P (no, the national chain hasn't raised a copyright fuss about this - if they even know about it). In the heart of downtown is Rainbow Foods, a locally owned downtown store specializing in natural foods. Its overall selection is considerably smaller than the other main grocery stores, but carries a number of brands customers accustomed to shopping at locations such as Whole Foods and Wild Oats look for.

The Costco membership store in Lemon Creek offers wholesale quantities of food and other items, but the warehouse and overall selection is somewhat smaller than outlets in other cities.

The first store approaching the Mendenhall Valley is Fred Meyer, Juneau's sole remaining large-scale "general purpose" retail store after the closure of a Kmart in Lemon Creek. Groceries, clothing, hardware, electronics and other goods are found here. Further along in the Mendenhall Mall is the locally owned Super Bear Supermarket, known among other things for its unique meat and seafood selection, and a Safeway located just north of the mall.

The mall itself, to the right of Egan, is the more locally oriented of Juneau's two shopping centers, offering more local businesses and community facilities such as the valley branch of the city's public library. The other center, the Nugget Mall, offers more stores found nationwide such as KB Toys and Ritz Cameras in addition to a number of local businesses. A number of individual stores and small shopping centers are located in the immediate vicinity of both malls.

Those looking for hardware and building supplies are more likely to find success at a handful of valley stores, but a reasonably sized Tru-Value store is also found in the rear of the building that houses A&P. The locally owned Western Auto in Lemon Creek sells tools, appliances and other goods.