I spend a lot of time in this area, and I'm a fan of the Arboretum. There's not a lot of shopping in terms of clothing that is very interesting, but some of my favorite Charlotte restaurants are located within the Arboretum. From Cajun Yard Dog to CoffeeWorks, there's good stuff out here.
I also really like the Natural Marketplace as an all-around vitamin and herb and various hippy food stores.
So it's not great for shopping, but if you're hungry, the Arboretum is a great place to land.