Plainsboro has access to numerous local and regional shopping facilities. Plainsboro Plaza , located in the Village Center area, contains a large grocery store, home center, restaurants, a pharmacy, a fitness center and other small service shops; Princeton Meadows is a neighborhood shopping area with small stores and an Asian market; and Forrestal Village is a mixed use shopping center along Route 1.

Home Depot, Lowe's, Best Buy, Walmart, Whole Foods, Staples and other large stores are all within minutes of Plainsboro on Route 1. Shopping centers in the immediate area include the Quakerbridge Mall, Mercer Mall, MarketFair, Nassau Park, and Forrestal Center.