Shopping in British Columbia
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Ten Thousand Villages
A fair-trade boutique where purchases support the work of artisans in low-income countries around the world, you’ll find stationery from Bangladesh, baskets from Vietnam and a plethora of hammocks, drums, clothing and unusual handicrafts. Pick up a far more worthwhile Vancouver souvenir than those maple-syrup cookies and confuse everyone back home.
reviewed
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Summer Night Market
Much bigger than Vancouver’s Chinatown version, Richmond’s Summer Night Market has around 300 vendors and offers a multisensory glimpse of what Hong Kong–style bazaars are all about. Don’t eat anything before arriving and you can taste-trip among the 60 or so steamy food stalls. The highlight of an evening out here, they offer savory treats such as fish balls, shrimp dumplings, duck wraps, twirled potatoes, vegetarian gyoza (fried Japanese dumplings) and grilled squid. Most dishes cost from $3 to $6. Highlight vendors are the comparatively gourmet Roaming Dragon (go for its Korean short-rib tacos) and Sumo Bites (the sukiyaki beef rice burgers are recommended).
reviewed
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Portobello West
This monthly indoor market enables more than 100 local artists and designers to display and sell their work. Prices are reasonable and you’ll find an amazing selection that can include hand-painted boots, striking original paintings, unique ceramics and just about everything in between. There’s usually a party atmosphere, as DJs spin their stuff and food vendors give you something to munch on while you peruse the goods. To get here from the Main St-Science World SkyTrain station, walk east along Terminal Ave to Cottrell St. Turn right and the station building is just ahead of you. Admission is free in some summer months when the weather is good enough to hold the event ou…
reviewed
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Metropolis at Metrotown
The ever-expanding 470-store homage to materialism, the ginormous Metropolis at Metrotown is the only shopping center you’ll need to visit on this trip. Savvy shoppers arrive early in the morning to beat the crowds then rest their weary feet at the sprawling food court – Indian, Japanese and Chinese cuisines are recommended here. All the regular chain-store suspects are on site, as well as bookshops, cinemas, department stores and a large number of intriguing Chinese businesses clustered around the excellent Asian T&T supermarket. The mall is a 20-minute SkyTrain ride from downtown Vancouver – it’s big enough to warrant its own station.
reviewed
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West 4th Avenue
This strollable smorgasbord of stores and restaurants may have your credit card whimpering for mercy after a couple of hours. Since Kits is now a bit of a middle-class utopia, shops where you could once buy cheap groceries or grow-op paraphernalia are now more likely to be hawking designer yoga gear, hundred-dollar hiking socks and exotic (and unfamiliar) fruits from around the world. It’s nice to look – although your resolve may buckle at some of the excellent themed bookshops and clothing stores. It’s also a great place for a coffee stop and you’re never far from the beach if you want to tote a picnic instead.
reviewed
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Railspur Alley
Seemingly far from the madding crowds of the public market – at least on summer days when every tourist in town seems to be there – this somewhat hidden back-alley strip is a relaxing alternative. You’ll find a string of unique artisan stores, including a painter, fiber artist and silk seller. Even better is the Artisan Sake Maker ([tel] 604-685-7253; www.artisansakemaker.com; 1339 Railspur Alley; [hrs] 11:30am-6pm), who produces small batches of junmai sake right here (tastings are $2 each or $5 for three). You can sober up with a strong coffee at the Agro Café, also a great spot for lunch.
reviewed
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Lonsdale Quay
As well as being a transportation hub – this is where the SeaBus from downtown docks and you pick up transit buses to Capilano, Grouse and beyond – this waterfront facility built for Expo ’86 houses a colorful indoor market. The region’s second-best market (after Granville Island), this one is a popular spot for fresh fruit and glassy-eyed whole fish on the main floor and trinkets and clothing on the 2nd floor. There’s also a lively food court and a couple of sit-down restaurants. It’s a nice afternoon jaunt from the city, with many visitors scooping up an ice cream and lingering over the boardwalk vistas of downtown.
reviewed
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Kids Market
A nightmare if you happen to stroll in by mistake, this two-story mini shopping mall for under-10s is bristling with kid-friendly stores, mostly of the toy variety. If your child’s interests extend beyond Lego and Barbie, there are also retailers specializing in clothing, candy, magic tricks and arts and crafts. If it all gets a bit too much, you might try enticing your sprogs away from the shops to the huge Granville Island Water Park (admission free; [hrs] 10am-6pm mid-May–early Sep) just behind the market (or perhaps sneaking yourself to the nearby Granville Island Brewing for a swift libation).
reviewed
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Punjabi Market
You won't find cows wandering the streets, or bicycle rickshaws weaving between the traffic, but some of the sounds, smells and colors of the subcontinent are condensed into this short Main St strip. This enclave of sari stores, Bangra music shops, jewelry emporiums and some of the region's best-value curry restaurants has seen better days - as in Chinatown, the younger people have dispersed around the region because they don't feel compelled to live in a neighborhood together - but it's still a good spot for a spicy all-you-can-eat lunch followed by a restorative walkabout.
reviewed
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Army & Navy
When the Army & Navy department store’s annual 12-day shoe sale kicks-off, there’s always a long, excited queue of hundreds of local ladies ready to get in. Those who’ve waited in line for hours have the chance to hit – usually at maximum velocity – the shiny pyramids of deeply discounted designer footwear from the likes of Guess, Christian Dior and Jimmy Choo. As screams of delight emanate from those staggering around with armfuls of must-have shoes, a handful of sheepish husbands and boyfriends hang around in corners wondering how they can escape.
reviewed
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Mountain Equipment Co-Op
Cavernous granddaddy of Vancouver outdoor stores, grown hikers have been known to weep here at the amazing selection of mostly own-brand clothing, kayaks, sleeping bags and clever camping gadgets: MEC has been turning campers into fully fledged outdoor enthusiasts for years. There’s a good selection of regional and international maps and guidebooks, plus a climbing wall to test your new gear. You’ll have to be a member to buy, but that’s easy to arrange and only costs $5. Equipment – canoes, kayaks, camping gear etc – can also be rented here.
reviewed
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Regional Assembly of Text
The epitome of South Main eccentricity, this ironic antidote to the digital age was founded by pen-and-paper-loving art school grads. Ink-stained fans flock here to stock up on Little Otsu journals, handmade pencil boxes and American Apparel T-shirts printed with typewriter motifs. Check out the tiny under-the-stairs reading room showcasing cool underground art, and don’t miss the monthly letter-writing club (7pm, first Thursday of every month), where you can sip tea, scoff cookies and hammer away on those vintage typewriters.
reviewed
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Purdy’s Chocolates
Like a beacon to the weary, this purple-painted chocolate purveyor stands at the corner of Granville and W 11th Ave calling your name. It’s a homegrown British Columbia business with outlets dotted like candy sprinkles across the city, and it’s hard not to pick up a few treats for the road here. Among the favorites are the chocolate hedgehogs, peanut-butter daisies and sweet Georgia browns – roasted pecans wrapped in caramel and chocolate. Check out the sales racks after Christmas and Valentine’s Day for dramatic bargains.
reviewed
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Dutch Girl Chocolates
This little creaky-floored shop is artfully draped with an Aladdin’s cave of totally irresistible choc treats, many made in the kitchen you’ll glimpse through the hatch out back. Pick up some milk, white or dark chocolate models of cars or tennis racquets, peruse the old-fashioned jars of liquorice sweeties or create a selection box of handmade truffles and bonbons from the cabinet by the counter. And if you’re a visiting Netherlander pining for home, you can pick up all your fave branded Dutch confections right here.
reviewed
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Wanderlust
Neatly divided between guidebooks, maps and travel literature and a large array of travel accessories, this store has been inspiring itchy feet among the locals for years. While the travel book selection is deeper than any other in town, it’s the gadgets that are most intriguing. Peruse the luggage, money belts and mosquito nets, then wonder how you ever got by without quick-drying underwear. The staff of seasoned travelers is super-knowledgeable if you just want to talk up your next big adventure.
reviewed
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Chinatown Night Market
Smaller and less frenetic than its clamorous Richmond brother, this colorful downtown evening bazaar lures with its sensory combination of cheap trinkets, knock-off designer goods and aromatic hawker food – it’s like a walk-through buffet of noodles, fish balls and bubble tea. There’s live music on stage most nights and, once the sun sets and all you can hear are Chinese voices, it’s not hard to imagine yourself in Hong Kong. Order a fresh coconut (plus a straw) and you’ll fit right in.
reviewed
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Richmond Night Market
Much bigger than Vancouver’s Chinatown version, the summertime Richmond Night Market has 350 vendors, who together offer a glimpse of what clamorous Hong Kong–style bazaars are all about. Don’t eat anything before arriving and you can taste trip among the 65 food stalls, which offer steaming savory treats such as fish balls, shrimp dumplings, vegetarian gyoza (fried Japanese dumplings) and grilled squid. Most dishes cost from $2.50 to $4.
reviewed
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Sports Junkies
If you’re heading to this part of town to check out Mountain Equipment Co-Op, do what the locals do and drop in first to this nearby outdoor gear and sports equipment consignment store. Along with the shelves of used boots and shoes near the door, you’ll find racks of end-of-range new togs (this is the place for $5 Olympic Games T-shirts). Upstairs is a cornucopia of new and used equipment, from skis to snowshoes. If you know your prices, you can save a bundle here.
reviewed
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Konbiniya Japan Centre
At a point on Robson St where the generic chain stores dry up and the Asian businesses begin, this is the kind of colorful, chaotic, even tacky store frequently seen in Tokyo’s clamorous suburbs. It’s the best place in town for Pocky chocolate sticks, wasabi-flavored Kit Kats and Melty Kiss candies, hence the homesick language students shuffling around the aisles. If your accommodation is self-catering, this is a good place to pick up cheap noodles and currymixes.
reviewed
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Gravity Pope
This unisex temple of great footwear is a dangerous place to come if you have a shoe fetish – best not to bring more than one credit card. Quality and designer élan are the keys here and you can expect to slip into Vancouver’s best selection of fashion-forward clogs, wedges, mules and classy runners. If you have any money left, head next door to Gravity Pope Tailored Goods, a boutique stuffed with stylish must-have men’s and women’s clothing.
reviewed
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Blim
This popular arts and crafts resource center is well worth a look if you need to scratch your creative urge while you’re here. You’ll find supplies and space to make your own thing – from buttons to knitted scarves – or you can just peruse the gallery and shopping spaces to pick up something someone else has already labored over (you can always tell people back home you made it yourself). There’s a lively list of workshops, events and film nights here, too.
reviewed
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Deluxe Junk
A treasure trove of antique glories, from flapper dresses to sparkly evening shoes and even the occasional old-school wedding outfit, this is one of the city’s best vintage clothing stores. Mostly serving discerning females, there are also essential outfits for passing blokes, including cummerbunds and Hawaiian shirts (not usually worn together). Check out the vintage cigarette holders – perfect for that 1940s dinner party you’re time traveling back to.
reviewed
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Stepback
Always a pleasure to browse, this quirky store combines an inventory of trendy retro knickknacks – 1970s whiskey glasses, vintage suitcases, school exercise books etc – with reproduction items that look just as old. Among all the furniture, classic housewares and accessories, look out for the enamel kitchenware, leather journals and books of old-school classics (including some legendary children’s titles that will take you right back to your kid-hood).
reviewed
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La Grotta Del Formaggio
If you insist on eating something other than chocolate or ice cream, drop into this legendary deli, a holdover from the days when this was Vancouver’s ‘Little Italy.’ Peruse the lip-smacking cheese selection then check out the wall of marzipan, olive oil and cream crackers. A good spot to gather some mighty fine picnic fixings, you can scoff the lot in nearby Grandview Park. Check out the ceiling: it’s painted with clouds like the Sistine Chapel.
reviewed
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Meinhardt Fine Foods
The culinary equivalent of a sex shop for food fans, the narrow aisles at this swanky deli and grocery emporium are lined with international condiments, luxury canned goods and the kind of tempting treats that everyone should try at least once. Drop by for Christmas goodies or build your perfect picnic from the tempting bread, cheese and cold cuts selections. If you’re salivating too much, check out Picnic, Meinhardt’s adjoining eatery for lunch.
reviewed
