When waiting for a flight out of terminal 1, there's a dearth of available seating. So walking the…read morelength of the terminal is a good way to pass the time. There's a decent number of shops, although because it's a small terminal, there's not a lot of variety. Still, for those things most people need at the last minute: coffee, earphones / chargers, food, a magazine, it's here. Of course, there's also the requisite clothing shop and jewelry store, both of which have some surprisingly fun and trendy things. Because I was still waiting for a flight, and there were no places to sit, and I'd already walked the length of the terminal several times, I stopped by Ruby Blue, drawn by the shiny bling -- the extra shot of caffeine in the coffee wasn't keeping my eyes open. I thought a blinding glare might do the trick. It did. There was one employee working and she was covering both the clothing and the jewelry side of the store. I'm not sure how she managed it on a weekend morning, but she was just as pleasant and as helpful as you could hope, even as you have zero interest in spending money. Ruby Blue has a nice selection of costume jewelry, mostly, and some fun items that, while still kitschy, were cute. The scarf holders, rings, necklaces, and earrings, separated by type and then by color, it seems, still were set up to make it easy to match. And the employee helpfully pointed out things to the other customer who bought a dress from the clothing side and needed some matching accessories. The prices ranged from reasonable to are-you-kidding-me, but I suppose if you forget to pack a gift, you might be willing to assuage guilt by spending money at an airport shop. It'd take more than boredom for me to do that, but Ruby Blue could make me reconsider it, some day. Maybe. Or not.

Great shop with local goodies and items made by local artists…read more I had a lot of time to spend because my flight was delayed. This shop had the best items because they are made in North Carolina. I got snacks from NC and ceramics made by NC artists as souvenirs. The other shops carry things that says the city names but made in China. That's why I prefer this shop.

Arriving at the airport ahead of my flight and with some time to burn up, I checked out the gift…read moreshops of RDU Terminal 1. Root & Branch is located immediately at the bottom of the escalator after clearing security so it's hard to miss. All sorts of mementos oriented to the Raleigh and North Carolina area. Magnets, coffee mugs, tshirts, cute signs. But also other cups, candies, soaps, candles and other North Carolina food items. Prices are about what I would expect for an airport. If you've gotten this far and didn't manage to pick up something to remember your trip to the Triangle region, Root & Branch will help you out. [Review 12494 overall, 2284 of 2019.]

I'm a big fan of this bookstore! I like that it's their bookstore model and not just the standard…read moreairport shop model with one wall of books. The whole store is devoted to books with a few convenience store items thrown in. The prices are your standard book store prices and they have all the latest releases. They also do have a pretty decent sale selection of bargain books. The titles aren't new releases, but they aren't ancient either, it ends up being a pretty good deal if you find something you like. I always like to browse here when I have extra time before my flight. They also have a display of Papyrus cards which has saved me more than once when I'm on my way to a wedding or for a birthday and I didn't have time to pickup a card before I left. Recommend checking them out when you have extra time at RDU Terminal 2!

Solid bookstore saved my behind - I needed a quick gift for a friend's little girl and hadn't found…read moreanything at all cute when at home. I had to leave it for the last minute and luck score, found just the right things here at the airport bookstore. Thanks HB for having my back.

I completely love this store! I I look forward to shopping here every time I fly out of this…read moreterminal. Prices are reasonable, items are unique and always have great customer service. Are there other locations?

I never would have thought that I would find such an awesome clothing store at an airport, but this…read moreone called out to me and drew me in before a recent flight. Newly open in Terminal 1, I found myself trying on really cute clothes, which was the last thing I expected to be doing. Lucky me found a dress that I absolutely loved that was (another score) on sale! Not only was it cute, but totally comfortable and perfect for traveling as it was wrinkle-free. I wore it a couple times on our trip and loved it! The friendly gal working in the store informed me that we can even call them and they'll come let us up if we want to shop without flying somewhere.

A lovely selection of clothing and high-quality items with fair pricing…read more I have consigned with them and they're system is fair and transparent. The only thing I wish were different is that you have to pick up physical checks in person for consigned items, but it's a lovely store.

I have been going to mode for 8 years , Great Customer service. I have put items on consignment as…read morewell as bought lots of items. I love their policy of half off after 30 days except for designer items. My wardrobe is full of Mode items. I would definitely give Mode 5 stars

Love when a used book shop is organized and has places to sit! Newsagent's is a cozy, welcoming…read moreshop selling a curated collection of classic books, comics, and vinyl records. On the first floor there are shelves full of paperback books, vinyl records, and vintage products, a coffee cart, and benches. Upstairs there is a reading lounge with tables and couches. Newsagent's aims to rediscover, restore, and preserve culture. They sell and buy paperback books, cassette tapes, CDs, comic books, DVDs, vinyl records, and more.

The Newsagent's is much more than a cute place. It's a thoughtfully designed space that combines…read morecoffee, retail, reading, and community into one experience. I tried the Cheerwine Espresso Drink and it was divine! Rocky was amazing at crafting it! If you're in downtown Raleigh and looking for something different, this is absolutely worth checking out. I'll definitely be back.

Made a serendipitous stop at Gail and Grace Boutique while awaiting an appointment. The gorgeous…read morewindow dressings drew me in while on my way to wet my whistle at Mission Market. Unique and brightly colored apparel and gifts "graced" the large front window displays. I was greeted warmly by Lisa. She knew her inventory well and made several suggestions for me; I tried on multiple items including a ruffled dress with metallic thread detail. She educated me about the unique brands behind Queen of Sparkle and Shu Shop sneakers. They carry stretchy Risen jeans, too. You can find lovely pieces to bring a unique look to your everyday wardrobe or for a special occasion. They also offer pretty accessories. Need a gift? You can find it there. I'll be back to see what Gail and Grace will offer for fall as my summer wardrobe is overflowing. Also, I'll be back for holiday gift shopping. Worth a visit! And, why not? It's lovely to be in Apex!

Why has it taken me so long to hear of this place?? Reader's Corner is a dream for avid readers…read more The shop is filled to the brim with books organized by genre. The books inside are individually priced, while the books outside are discounted to 10 or 25 cents based on which side it is on. I could have spent hours there. After selecting way too many books, I took them up to the counter to check out. As the friendly employee rang up the books, we chatted about D&D. Overall, perfect first visit and I look forward to returning!

Readers Corner sells books for $.10 and $.25 before you even enter the store. But once inside you…read morecan find all kinds of books and albums from all genera's - whatever you're looking for. Just be prepared, it's an older building and it felt that way once inside, but they were very busy too. If it had not been so cold out we would have perused more of the $.10 books outside. We definitely will go back for that because there's lots of bargains that we had here. They sell a variety of items here it's worth checking out.